Someday, Someday
by Miss Pibbles
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. Best friends for eleven years. Everything was pure bliss, that is, until he left her three years ago. Sakura has always had secret feelings for Sasuke. Will they resurface when he suddenly returns? AU
1. Prologue

**I apologize a thousand times over for not updating in God only knows how long! Year 12 has been a thorn in my side for too damn long...**

**For starters, this piece was a creative piece that I wrote for Literature, hence why it's different from my usual writing style. Anyway, I completely fell in love with this story when I wrote it that I knew I just _had_ to post it on FF!**

**I changed the original title and summary for this story because I thought it wouldn't catch much attention.**

**Make sure you review if you want this to become a full-fledged story!**

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><p>Icy wind and rain battered the synthetic shades of his black umbrella mercilessly. He walked with a purpose, with a means toward a destination. He could feel said destination nearing as he craned his head up to read the street sign. As he turned the corner into the neat, modern street, he admitted inwardly that it still looked beautiful, despite the terrible and gloomy weather that had befallen the town that day.<p>

Leather suitcase tight in his hand, he hastened his pace. He was desperate to be rid of this weather. House upon house passed as he searched for the correct number. Said number should be displayed proudly on a mailbox that should be out front of the house. If not, this was going to become troublesome.

His chin length, raven forelocks whipped at the sides of his face as the wind continued to howl in his ears.

_202… 204… 206…_

At last, he had reached the house with—what he assumed to be—the correct number. Quickly, he shoved his hand into the left pocket of his big, black trench coat and fished out the small, crumpled paper. He smoothed it out before checking he had the correct number.

_208 Punt Street._

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><p>A sharp, low rumble of thunder caused the girl to flinch uncomfortably. She didn't mind thunderstorms, but they always caused her to be jumpy and, yet, feel some sort of contentment at the same time. It was silly, really. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe it was the thrill of being caught unexpectedly by something you already know is right there with you.<p>

Or maybe she _was_ just being silly.

She tried to ignore the—now constant—sharp and loud rumbles that continued to bore from the outside. She was alone in the questionably large house. One last time, she wandered around to make sure the doors were locked.

The satisfying sound of the locks greeted her ears. She sighed and retreated upstairs to warm up her tiny frame with a quick, hot shower.

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><p>Hesitancy was an understatement and nostalgia was its partner in crime.<p>

He had not a clue as to why he was hesitating. He was not one to hesitate. In fact, he was the typical professional and methodical person. He was never without some sort of purpose in mind. The large house loomed skeptically behind the trees and neatly kept garden that stood before it. Something about the current storm made him feel unwelcome.

He snorted loudly and dismissed the fact that he had the address written down. It was not like him to forget. This house was definately apart of him, whether he liked it or not. Years had passed since he had last laid his deep, onyx eyes on this house.

Mustering up what was left of his pride and courage, he raised a cold, pale fist to the large, mahogany door and knocked.

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><p>She continued to rub the soft towel through her long, pink locks, waiting for the last cold drop of water to be absorbed. She despised the cold. Even more so when she could not do a thing to warm herself up. This time, she did not mind it, so long as it remained outside. She stared at her steamy reflection for some time. Her skinny, wet locks stuck to the sides of her face, neck and shoulders. Her emerald eyes sparkled, despite staring back from a steam-covered mirror.<p>

She did not like it when she was alone in the house. Paranoia was not her friend. It often bore its way into her skull until she could take no more. It had been almost a week since her parents left on their vacation. Not that she minded; Lord knows her parents deserved one. They worked relentlessly to provide for her. And she was grateful.

She knew too well that others did not have the life she did. Those others happened to be her friends. She had a close group of friends, although they were not from her school. She went to the best, most expensive school in town.

Her friends did not.

Maybe that's why she kept them around. Maybe she needed to be kept grounded. She didn't want her wealth to go to her head like the others at her school. Her close group of friends were genuine, in her eyes. They despised the wealthy. Although once she had gained their respect, everything fell into place. It seemed as if her friends are her friends for a reason.

Her friends still didn't like the wealthy, despite the fact they had one as a close friend. The typical stereotypes clouded their judgement. Countless times she had tried to convince her friends that stereotypes were only seen in movies; that they did not exist. However, portrayal of that stereotype by the other wealthy teens did not help her argument.

As she padded across the soft carpet toward the stairs, she stopped dead in her tracks. A cold, swift breeze brushed past her skin. It was faint, but surely it was there. Dread knotted in the pit of her stomach. Her heart began to race. That breeze was not meant to be coming from inside. The windows were shut. There was no way such a breeze could—

_The doors._

Cursing, she paused and thought for a moment. She definitely knew she had locked all the doors. She thanked her gnawing paranoia for making sure of that. The breeze was not felt again. The dread in her stomach lightened, but then grew dense once more.

Was someone in the house?

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><p>A nostalgic smirk quirked at the corner of his lips as the familiar smell of the house invaded his nostrils.<p>

He knew he shouldn't have entered without waiting for a reply. But honestly, he too despised the cold. He knew he should have driven somehow. But he had no car, and not enough cash money for a taxi. He should have caught a bus that would have dropped him off closer. He wasn't thinking clearly.

He was thinking about her.

It had been three years since he had left everything behind. Friends, family, school, and her.

He had not chosen to leave her. His family chose to pack up their bags, roll up their sleeves and leave her. His father's company needed him to move across the country to be within easy access. It was not easy running a billion dollar company when you are hundreds of miles away.

Truth be told, it ate him alive, down to his very core, when the news was given to him. But, forever stoic and impassive, he dare not let his façade shatter.

His father said it to be wise to move. His father wanted him to run the company come the day he dies. The family business was all he and his father had left. His mother and older brother dead, his father also needed a desperate change of scenery. They both needed a change of scenery.

She cried when she had found out. Oh, how she cried. He wanted to cry too. But he did not. He had to be the strong one, despite the fact he was crumbling from the inside out. He actually thought he felt her heart break that day as he held her close for the first time since they became friends.

They tried to keep in contact. They tried not to let the different time zones and their separate lifestyles get in the way of their friendship. But soon, it had. All contact between him and her had been lost. It dwindled down to nothing. He knew she was hurting inside. He, too, was hurting inside. At times, he would pick up the phone and dial those numbers just to hear her voice. Just to hear that she was okay. But before he would punch in the last number, he would hang up. What was she to say to him after all this time?

What was he to say to her?

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><p>Quietly, she crept. Toe, heel. Toe, heel.<p>

Despite the fact she was walking on a hallway rug, the floorboards underneath would creak with the slightest touch. She hoped that nobody was downstairs. Hell, she prayed to every God out there. She pleaded that this not be the case.

A floorboard creaked underneath her. She stopped, sucked in a breath and held it. She heard nothing. She continued on, determined to be quieter.

As she neared the top of the wide, wooden staircase, she cursed her self. Her best friend had offered her a place to stay while her parents were away. Respectfully, she declined. Now, she wished she hadn't.

The paranoia festered and gnawed at the back of her head. Her heart began to beat faster. Soon, the sound filled her ears. Her breaths came out shaky and shallow. She hated feeling paranoid. It honestly bugged her to the world's end.

Determined to get over her fears, she continued. She sucked in another breath and forced her legs to move. She was careful to not let her toes get hitched on the bottom of her long, grey tracksuit pants. It had happened before. Due to that, she had fallen down the stairs and fractured her arm.

_Never again_, she thought.

As she neared the halfway mark down the large, elegant staircase, something made her stop. A cough.

A _familiar_ cough.

Her heart leapt in her throat as her ears perked up. She begged to hear that sound once more. But she didn't. She definitely knew _that_ cough. There was no mistaking it.

He was here.

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><p>As he entered the kitchen, he thought this was beginning to feel like a mistake.<p>

She may not even be home, he thought to himself as he gently placed his large black and umbrella by the wall.

But then again, why would she leave the front door unlocked? He remembered that she never locked the door unless she was out. That was her number one rule.

What if she wasn't home, but her parents were? What would happen then? Her parents loved him, he remembers. Their families were like family. They accepted one another, mainly based on the fact they were both wealthy. But what would they do if they saw him wandering through their house after all this time?

Suddenly, he heard a footstep. It was faint and barely there, but he heard it. He paused, his fists clenching in his pockets. Then, another. And another.

Whoever it was, they were definitely trying to keep themselves concealed from him.

Nonetheless, he waited.

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><p>As she neared the bottom of the stairs, she saw tiny puddles on the hardwood floor. They glinted in the overhead lights. But these were not just any puddles. These puddles took the shape of footprints. Big footprints. Long strides. She remembers that particular pathway of puddled feet from somewhere before. She remembered walking with him. Both walked through the puddles. Well, she jumped in them while he reluctantly followed. She remembers looking back on their tracks. His were long, simple and straight. Hers were closer together and they weaved left and right.<p>

There was no mistaking that he was here.

She asks herself why would he be here, of all places? He left three years ago, and hadn't spoken to her in two and a half. Also, he was on the other side of the country. Why would he come this far just to see her?

Questions danced through her mind, begging to burst forth. She held them back with bravery. She breathed out, sucked in yet another one, and trotted down the remaining eight steps and entered the kitchen.

She let her held breath whoosh forth.

And there he stood.

He stood frozen in place. His calloused, pale hands hidden inside the deep pockets of his black trench coat. His pale face covered by his wet, windblown raven locks. His deep, onyx eyes—a deep, never-ending abyss of onyx—remained impassive, even in the light yellow light of the huge kitchen. His dark eyes stared on, his form not moving.

"Sasuke…" she murmured.

Never in the three years since she had last seen him, had she thought that his name would ever creep past her lips, ever again.

Sasuke Uchiha was the type who listened and rarely talked—quiet and thoughtful to her every word. He would listen when she would whine about anything and everything all at once. He was the one who would infuriate her by challenging her beliefs and theories, thus frustrating her and secretly amusing himself. He was the one who would show up at her house, unannounced, and then stay for dinner. He was the one who would question something she said when he did not understand. He was the one who listened when she had her heart broken. He was the boy who would always have her back, though never mentioned it aloud—not even to her.

He was her best friend.

Also, he was the type who would wrap one side of his red hooded jacket around her shoulder when she was cold. She knew that he never once minded the close proximity between them. After all, they were best friends. They shared everything; secrets, dreams and aspirations for the future.

And she was in love with him.

She would never confess this, of course. She cared too much for the friendship they already shared. She tried not to get jealous when yet another girl would ask him on a date. Sasuke is—or was—undoubtedly the most handsome guy in school. Girl after girl would throw herself at him. She promised herself she would never stoop to something so disgraceful. No matter how much she wanted to. And she would always welcome his decisions with open arms, no matter what.

Until he told her he was leaving.

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><p>Sasuke stared at the girl who entered the kitchen. Her eyes went wide at his sight. He expected that much.<p>

She still looked the same. Although he did notice her hair was longer—much longer—with the same emerald eyes. He was disappointed to see that her eyes didn't seem to light up like they used to. And he knew it was his fault. He had seen that little sparkle diminish completely _that _day. He had hoped to see it once again, but was sadly mistaken.

He tried to contain the little flutter his heart made. She had actually become strikingly pretty. She was never considered the prettiest girl alive. The girls he took on dates would always question him why—of all people—was _she_ his best friend.

Truth be told, he had no idea.

Maybe it was the way she smiled at him in the mornings. Maybe it was the way she would pout when he would give her a look that she knew he was making fun of her. Maybe it was the way he could be so comfortable around her. Maybe it was the way he was welcomed into her house nearly every day. And maybe it was the way she wouldn't throw herself at him like all the other girls did.

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><p>Emotions began to swirl violently within her.<p>

There was anger, hurt, frustration, fear, happiness, joy and sadness. She didn't know how she should feel. She wanted to cry. She wanted to jump for joy. She wanted to punch him in the face. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to scream and yell until she would lose her voice. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to throw him out and never see him again.

She wanted so much. She wanted what she couldn't have.

He left three years ago and hadn't tried to contact her in two and a half. Their lives became so different in a matter of mere months. Everything they had once shared was abolished.

"Sakura…" he whispered.

And then Sasuke did something he hadn't done to her since the day he left.

He hugged her.

He walked up, and slowly snaked his big arms around her tiny waist. He buried his face in the crook of her neck. He inhaled the terribly missed scent of her strawberry shampoo. He raised a hand, intertwined his fingers with her long, wet locks and breathed in again.

Sakura could feel tears welling in her eyes. They threatened to spill over. She bravely fought them back with her all. She was still angry at how he had just upped and left her. She admitted that she had missed him terribly. Her heart panged at the sudden embrace. The shattered pieces he left her with wanted to rebuild. Although, a hug could not repair what he had broken all those years ago.

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><p><strong>Hands up; who wants me to continue with this story?<strong>

**Rreview please!**


	2. Past Eradication

**Well, even though I have not gotten the amount of reviews I had hoped for, I have decided to continue this as a full-fledged story in the hopes it will be the most reviewed story that I have.**

**Anyways, regarding updates: updates will occur randomly. I know that I have promised to have some sort of schedule, but that's just a load of crap. My updates will be at random. That is all I can say. But I will not be giving up on this story; you have my word on that, loyal followers!**

**Now, back to the story! NOTE: this will be written in the same style as the previous one.**

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><p>How she dreamed of this day.<p>

Silly, she knows, but not a day went by after Sasuke left that Sakura would hope and pray. She would lose herself in her thoughts and daydream almost constantly. She would picture Sasuke breaking down her front door, hugging her, and telling her how foolish he was for leaving her.

Days after he left, she would race to the front door when it needed to be answered, hoping, praying, that it would be her best friend there. Hoping, smiling that crooked, half-smile he only ever did in her presence, asking for her forgiveness.

Of course, she would forgive him.

She would dream of wrapping her arms around his stone-like midsection and hug him so tightly that she would laugh to herself if she ever saw his face turn blue. Sakura would keep repeating that she forgave him, that she never lost hope.

But it was never him at the door.

Again and again, her hopes would be quickly rebuilt, and then dashed even quicker when it was never Sasuke at the door. Even after weeks, she would still hope that Sasuke would appear at her door. Even when her mother would call out to her from downstairs, stating that someone was at the door for her, she would practically trip over herself just to get there.

Not long after, she gave up hoping Sasuke would appear at her door. She gave up answering the phone with hope and desire in her voice. In the end, Sakura refused to answer either the door or the phone. It caused nothing but hurt and disappointment.

"Sakura," Sasuke muttered again, taking a step toward her, his calloused hand outstretched.

Sakura immediately stood back, using every ounce of willpower she had to keep the tears from falling. He stopped short and lowered his hand and gaze to the hardwood floor.

Was that _shame_ she could see in his eyes?

Her heart did a small flip, but then went hard again. Right now, she didn't give a fuck about how Sasuke felt. Right now, Sasuke could go rot for all she cared. How dare he show up after all this time? And how dare he even think that she would forgive him after all this time?

There was no doubt that Sakura wanted answers. Questions buzzed through her mind like agitated wasps, threatening to sting at any given moment. They were begging to burst forth. But not now. Not after she had finally gotten over his departure. Not after she had finally found a reason to smile that wasn't related to him.

Finally, Sasuke raised his head.

"I—"

"_Get… out_…" Sakura hissed, narrowing her eyes into a deathly glare.

Respectfully, Sasuke clamped his mouth shut and again lowered his gaze to the floor.

Sakura then turned on her heel and stormed upstairs. She purposely stomped her foot on the last step, just to prove her point that Sasuke was definitely not wanted. Not here, not now.

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><p>There was only so long a girl could wait for a boy.<p>

In this case, Sakura waited for three years in hopes of his return. The two did keep in contact by phone for the first six months. The conversation would consist of Sakura weeping into the phone, begging Sasuke to come home. Sobbing that she needed him. Screaming into the receiver that she could not live without him. Sasuke would remain forever impassive on the other end, still not expressing any emotion.

And in every phone call, Sakura would always ask when he would come back to visit. And every time Sasuke was finally about to give Sakura a solid answer, he would cut short, quickly mutter a goodbye and hang up.

By then, Sakura was hurt beyond comprehension. She would always call him; he never called her once. Most times, it would go straight to voicemail. And she would leave message upon message until his inbox was full.

She even tried to call his father's company's line. Whenever she would actually get through to the receptionist, she was always put on hold for hours. After being put on hold for the last time, Sakura slammed down the receiver and swore to never pick it up again.

But her willpower back then has not the strength it does today.

Four months after vowing to never pick up the phone again, Sakura tried one last time to call Sasuke on his mobile, trying to satisfy that last corner of light in her heart that hoped Sasuke was still there. After dialling the last number, the automated voice answered. It explained that this particular number was no longer in service.

In a desperate act to try and contact him in some other way, Sakura ripped her laptop from its case, jerked open the lid and connected to Facebook. She swept her finger roughly over the tiny mouse-pad and clicked onto _Friends._ She scrolled down until she reached the near bottom, where his name was.

Where his name _should have been_.

Blinking rapidly to try and adjust to what she was looking at, Sakura scrolled up and down at least a trillion times before she realized the horrible truth.

His Facebook was gone.

Muttering the word "no" to herself over and over, she clicked out of _Friends_ and went onto her profile, where Sasuke was listed a member of her Facebook family. His name didn't appear there either.

A knot of dread began to form in the pit of her stomach. Sakura scrolled down her wall to try and find at least one wall post that Sasuke had left for her when he would come home drunk. Every time Sasuke got drunk, he would always post some sort of gibberish on Sakura's wall. Some weird habit that neither knew the root of.

But there was nothing.

_Nothing._

By then, her rage finally took over.

Sakura locked herself in her room that day, and unleashed all her fury and sorrow on anything and everything that she could get her hands on. She picked up the phone from her bedside table, tore the cord out from the wall and threw it across the room. It landed with a deafening thud on the hardwood floor and smashed.

Next, she kicked over the small bedside table, leaving it resting on its side. Moving to the left, the gripped the dark scarlet suede curtains with an unholy iron grip and tore them off their circular hinges, leaving them crumpled in a heap by the window.

Sakura's parents arrived home to hear the crashing and bashing going on upstairs. They raced up to find her bedroom door was locked. Expecting the worst, her mother repeatedly banged her fist on the door, begging for her darling Sakura to open the door. But she would not be heard over the loud crashing and deafening wails of fury and hurt that erupted from her daughter's throat.

Her father then rushed up, his face plastered with fear and confusion. Just as he was about to slam his fist against the door, her mother raised her hand to stop him and get him to listen to what was actually going on. Once he understood, both parents hung their heads hopelessly and headed downstairs, leaving their daughter to unleash what she had pent up since the day Sasuke had left.

The last part of her room that wasn't destroyed was her chest of drawers.

It was littered with photos of her and Sasuke, items of significance to their friendship, and a few of the gifts Sasuke had gotten her for birthday's past.

With a defiant cry, Sakura lunged toward the chest of drawers. She picked up a photo of her and Sasuke and—through her rage and frustration—paused to look at it. In the photo, Sakura had jumped Sasuke from behind, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck and wrapping her legs around his waist, as if she were a little girl begging for a piggyback. A huge grin was plastered across her face, which was pressed against Sasuke's. His expression was exasperated—no smile, no sign of anything in his eyes—but happy nonetheless, if one really understood how Sasuke's emotions worked.

Instead of tipping over the heavy, wooden chest of drawers, Sakura gripped the photo frame and hurled it to the floor.

The glass of the frame shattered at her feet, sending jagged pieces skidding to all corners of the room. An unfamiliar bolt of satisfaction struck through her core. Reaching for the next frame, she hurled that one to the floor again, the bolt of satisfaction thundering through her at the sound of the shattering glass.

Again and again, Sakura picked up each individual frame and hurled it to the floor, the same bolt streaking through her core, ridding her of any emotion she had left pent up inside.

Disregarding the broken shards piercing the soles of her feet, Sakura marched over to the wall that stood directly in front of her bed and stared at it, fists clenched so tight that her knuckles turned white.

One by one, she reached up and tore off every single photo of her and Sasuke and let it fall to the floor, as if it were nothing more than trash. The shredded pieces were all she lad left of Sasuke. But she didn't care. She just wanted to be rid of everything that reminded her of him, if it was the last thing she would ever do.

With one last defiant movement, Sakura turned back to her chest of drawers, cupped her hand and swept everything off onto the floor with a crash.

Once her rage-fuelled destruction was over, Sakura was breathing heavily. Her emerald orbs gazed around her dishevelled room. It was a complete mess, totally unrecognizable.

With one last breath, Sakura fell to the glass-covered floor and cried her bloody heart out.

After what seemed like hours, Sakura lifted her head from her hands and focused her hazy, wet eyes on her chest of drawers. She blinked away the tears and ran her eyes over how bare her room was.

She must've fallen asleep, because her room was not the way she had left it.

The torn up photos no longer lay strewn over the dark hardwood floor, and the glass no longer glinted in the light from her ceiling. She sat up in her bed to get a better look. Realizing what the time was, the realization came to her that her mother must have attempted to clean up after her daughter's destructive rampage.

The glass, torn up photos, boxes, bracelets and the pieces of her broken bedside phone lay in a neatly swept up pile in the corner of her room. The curtains that she had torn off the railing lay neatly folded on her bedside table, which was returned to its upright position by her bed.

But that was not what has caught her by surprise.

Everything was _bare_.

The walls were bare. Her chest of drawers were bare. No longer were they littered with cheerful photos of her and her best friend. No longer was it cluttered with tiny jewellery boxes, or with presents from Sasuke and her friends.

Her gaze cautiously lifted to the wall opposing her bed. That, too, was completely bare, albeit one of two photos of her and a few of her school friends.

But everything was so _bare_.

It was then when Sakura realized ho much of her life revolved around Sasuke. It was then she realized how much he meant to her. It was then she realized that he was never coming back.

And it was then when she realized that she didn't love him anymore.

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><p><strong>I hope you all enjoyed that! It was kind of a flashback mixed into what was happening now, if you can make any sense of what that means, hahah.<strong>

**Basically, the part about Sakura destroying her room was a flashback, incase you were all wondering :)**

**R&R please!**


	3. Lull

**HELLO FELLOW READERS! Well, today (June 22nd) is my birthday, and I'm finally 18! So, here in Australia, that means I am finally legal to buy/consume alcohol! And I am legal to go clubbing and gamble! And I am able to go for my license! WOOOO! My friends were super amazing to me today; buying me cake and sparklers! And my cousins sent me a balloon and a singing card at school, so my day has been just SO amazing, I thought I should celebrate it with you by uploading - not one - but TWO new chapters! :D  
><strong>

**AN: Enjoying it so far? Sorry if it's a bit angsty right now, but that shall disappear soon, and then reappear much later down the track. So don't fret, there will be some smiles and laughs down the track, I assure you.**

**Anyways, a reviewed writer is a happy writer!**

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><p>For once in his life, Sasuke had no idea what to do.<p>

He stood in the kitchen for some time, Sakura's fowl attitude radiating throughout the room, despite her not being in it. He was actually glad Sakura had stormed off before he could say anything. Because in truth, he still had no idea what to say to her after all this time.

Sasuke knew Sakura would not return downstairs anytime soon. So he decided to wander through the house. There was nothing new to see. He had been in this place plenty of times to know every single photo on the mantelpiece. He knew every single shadow in the room. And to know every scratch on the marble coffee table from Sakura's father slamming his glass down on its surface during an intense English Premier League game.

A nostalgic smirk quirked at the corner of Sasuke's lips at the reminder of her father. He was a sturdy man, around the same height as his own father, although much more slender. Much kinder. The smirk threatened to grow wider as her father's explanations of statistics of all the different EPL teams filtered through his mind. Sasuke never liked the EPL. Although he never mentioned it to her father.

_Maybe it was a nice thing to have_, he thought. Her father had to deal with two women in the house. The least Sasuke could do was pretend to know what her father was talking about.

As Sasuke wandered further into the elegant lounge-room, the nostalgia grew too much to bear. Why on earth had he let his father convince him to leave such a place; such a life? Why did he let his father drag him away from all of this?

In truth, Sasuke never exactly wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. He and his father never exactly saw eye-to-eye. They could stand being in the same presence, yes. But after too much conversation, one would get on the other's nerves. An argument would then take place, followed by days of silence between the two. Then, the cycle would repeat itself once again. Only rarely did Sasuke and Fugaku Uchiha exchange in a conversation that didn't result in an argument.

After not long, Sasuke gave up on his self-guided tour of the house. He kicked off his leather shoes and plopped down on the couch. He curled his toes. They were numb from the long, annoying walk through the wind and the rain. Running a big hand through his onyx locks, he reached over, picked up the remote from the marble coffee table and flicked on the TV.

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><p>Sakura's head jerked up at the sound of her alarm. She groaned, reached over and fumbled her fingers over her bedside table until they graced the circular rim of the Snooze button.<p>

She rolled over and rubbed her eyes. She flinched. They were sore. For a second, she couldn't remember why. Then it hit her.

_Sasuke was back._

She jolted up into a sitting position and ran her hand through her mussed up hair. Her mind raced through the events of yesterday afternoon. It wasn't hard to decipher. She had simply come downstairs after her shower to discover a wet Sasuke in her kitchen.

Her heart immediately panged at the image of him in her head. He was definitely more grown up. His hair was longer, both at the front and at the back, but did not look overgrown. He was taller and more built.

But she didn't care. After all, why should she care how Sasuke looked after three years? He left her. He never returned her calls. He deleted his Facebook and never replied to her emails. He changed his number and didn't bother to call her to give her the new one—if there ever _was_ a new one. His father's company always stuck her on hold. And they never picked up. _He_ never picked up.

It had infuriated her. Why were they ignoring her? Had she done something wrong?

Her mind nostalgically ran amuck, just like it did three years ago, wondering what she could have done to make him hate her and leave. But she knew that it had nothing to do with her. It was all to do with his father, his company and the accident.

Blinking away the sleep particles from her eyes, she dismissed the old, sore thoughts from her mind. She pulled back the covers and swung her legs over the edge. And paused. Her whole body seemed to slow down as that image of Sasuke sifted back into her mind.

But the thoughts and questions would not waver. Her heart grew heavy and sank down into her stomach. She rested her elbows on her knees and sank her face into her hands. But why? Why now? Why is he here? Sakura's heart grew more sorrowful as the thoughts progressed. What could have finally gotten him to come back after all this time? And why here?

Barely shaking the buzzing questions from her mind, Sakura fetched a bronze coloured towel from her cupboard and headed into the bathroom.

She sighed contently as the hot, steaming water pierced through the holes in the showerhead and drummed onto her cold skin. She writhed her body around to ensure the beautiful water caressed every single patch of skin.

Reaching over to the iron rack, she gripped the pink shampoo bottle and squeezed a healthy dose into her hands. She massaged it through her long, pink hair. Then rinsed before adding conditioner. Lastly, she grabbed the puffy sponge, squirted a heaping of body wash into it and scrubbed her body.

After her much needed shower, she lovingly blow dried her hair. Before leaving her bathroom, she caught sight of her reflection. Her long, pink hair that she hadn't cut since Sasuke left was shiny and soft. Albeit some ratty split ends. She then sighed as she realized her face was not smooth like it always was. It was rough and blotchy. And dark circles had formed underneath her eyes.

Uttering an exasperated groan, she headed back into her room and slipped on her uniform. It was a simple uniform—thank God—considering she went to the most expensive school in town. It was a simple white, long sleeved shirt with a navy kilt that cut off just above her knee. The uniform was accentuated with a navy tie, black tights and her good ol' faded black leather slip on shoes.

She huffed irritably. Figures that the only rich school in town has set uniforms for specific seasons of the year. Honestly, she hated it. The school forbid females from wearing slacks or any kind of pants. Some kind of old rule they wanted to keep. Meaning, she froze her ass off during the wintertime, which was when she was obliged to wear the kilt.

Sakura liked the kilt, truthfully. It made her appear like those sexy school pin-up girls that were in the magazines. Not that she would ever urge on that personality. She didn't want to look like a slut. She wanted to look sexy, yet still completely innocent, and free of any dirty attributes.

Sakura trotted down the large, wooden staircase, backpack slung lazily over her left shoulder. Before reaching the bottom, her pace slowed. She knew who was down there.

Sasuke was down there. Sleeping? She did not know. Awake? No idea. Waiting for her? Maybe. Wanting to talk to her? Yeah, right.

Sucking in a deep breath and calming her facial expression, she strode cautiously down the rest of the steps through the foyer and into the kitchen. Sasuke's black duffel bag was still resting on the hardwood floor where he had left it. By its side was his coat. Her eyes narrowed into little slits.

_Lazy, stupid asshole._

Sakura turned back around, walked through the foyer and into the lounge room and stopped. Sasuke was fast asleep on the couch—that was way too small to hold his tall figure—wearing nothing but his black slacks from yesterday. He was curled onto his side. His arms were brought up next to him, just below his collarbone. His hair was mussed and a little frizzy from yesterday's rain.

Sakura's heart did not skip a beat when her emerald orbs came to rest on Sasuke's bare torso. Her mind didn't go ga-ga over having the most handsome boy who ever lived—that had returned to her of his own accord—lying on her couch.

How dare he, she thought.

How dare he come back after all this time and except me to accept his apology. How dare he think that everything will be okay? What made him possibly think it would be okay for him to show up here?

One would expect Sakura's heart skip at the sight of Sasuke's shirtless body lying so innocently on her couch. One would expect her to ravish in the thought of having such a good looking guy sleeping on her couch; that had come back to her of his own free will. One would expect her to at least walk over and marvel at his perfectly sculpted body that had matured ever so well over the course of three years.

But she didn't.

Instead, she marched back into the kitchen. Grabbed his duffel bag and his large, black coat of the floor, heaved it beside the front door and slammed it behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys enjoyed that!<strong>

**Sorry about it being such a short chapter (yet another reason to upload two consecutive ones haha)**

**I'm trying to keep the descriptive sentences short; it is a new writing style I wish to try out. Let me know what you guys think of it!**

**Don't worry; **_**Sasuke X Sakura**_** will be coming up, as well as a few other unexpected couples, twists and turns, tears and laughter!**

**R&R please!**


	4. Fuck Me? Fuck You

**So, as I promised, here's the next consecutive chapter! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! :D**

**And a HUGE thankyou to all those who have reviewed/alerted/favourited! It means alot to me! I shall try to update as quickly as I can, but don't expect another speedy one for a while now! Sorry :(**

* * *

><p>The walk to school was probably the most eventful part of Sakura's day.<p>

It figures that the most private, expensive school in town had to be built on the other side of town. _Away_ from the expensive housing estate where most students of that school lived.

Her walk to school was even sometimes dangerous. The shortest route to the school just so happened to take a shortcut through the most derelict part of town. It took her past shady alleyways and seedy old men that lingered on street corners. She never liked going through that part of town. But she had no choice. It cut at least twenty minutes off her walk, so it had to be done.

Her parents were never around to drive her to school. And there wasn't a proper bus route. In the mornings, they were the early rising, late returning workaholics that barely noticed she was even there—sometimes. And now that her parents were on their much-needed vacation, she was left to fend for herself—not that she wasn't used to that.

Sakura had to conceal herself from the seedy, perverted men lurking at every corner. So Sakura wore her oversized grey hoodie. It was large enough to conceal her pink hair and her alluring schoolgirl uniform. She thanked God that the hoodie did its job. She even wore it in the summer, despite it getting so hot.

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura turned around. It was Naruto. He was jogging toward her, hand waving above his head. And that same, huge smile plastered on his face. His cobalt eyes glittered mischievously—even in the crappy, gloomy weather.

Sakura actually smiled. The blonde's smile was incredibly infectious. Feeling all her inner turmoil melt away, she could not help but smile in return.

"Good morning, Naruto!" she said sweetly, giving her best friend a hug.

Naruto Uzumaki.

Sakura practically owed her life to this boy. Once Sasuke left, Naruto had—surprisingly—been the one most attentive toward her dilemma. Besides her best friend, Ino Yamanaka.

Naruto had been there for her once she could take no more. Back then, Ino had gone on a three-week cruise. She had mentioned she would be unreachable during that time. 'Tech-free Retreat', Ino had said before she left. Her parents were workaholics too, and had gone on vacation in order to de-stress their lives. Something like that.

Figures that she had left when everything turned to shit.

In short, Naruto was the only other person who had put up everything she dished out. The mood swings, the crying, the yelling, the depression, the hurt and the frustration. She knew Naruto never once minded. He had this little, secret crush on her that enabled her to say and do whatever she wanted. Naruto would take it all without protesting otherwise.

"You look pretty today," he commented cheesily, releasing her from the hug. Sakura punched him in the arm playfully. She knew that every time he said this, it meant that she somehow looked like shit.

"You're a dick," she teased, trying to suppress a grin. "And I do not look like shit!"

Naruto broke out into laughter. He held his hands up as if in surrender. "Okay, okay fine, whatever you say!"

Sakura hmphed and began to walk. Naruto trailed close by her side, shoving his hands into the tattered pockets of his grey slacks. She could not help but sigh exasperatedly at his attire. His shirt was never tucked in and was crinkled. His buttons were never done up all the way. And the back rim of his pant legs were a little too long, and hence became tattered from being dragged across the pavement.

"Nice shirt," Sakura teased. She tugged at his creased shirt.

"And what's wrong with my shirt?"

"It's disgusting."

"_You're_ disgusting."

"You disgust me."

"Then my work here is done."

There was no use arguing. Naruto was Naruto. Cheeky, playful, sincere, lazy, messy and extremely kind. He was one of the friends from the average public school that she had kept around. They used to be neighbours when they were kids. But Naruto had moved away with his godfather, Jiraiya, when he was ten. He didn't return until five years later, about a year before Sasuke had left. The two met at the local corner shop, and had rekindled since then.

"How's being home alone?" Naruto asked as he craned his head left to right to check for oncoming traffic before the pair could cross the street.

"Fine," she said simply. The image of Sasuke flashing through her mind. Her eyes slowly drifted to the sidewalk. The inner turmoil had returned.

Her best friend was back. He was finally back.

So why wasn't she happy? Why, the answer was simple.

She hated him.

But not for leaving her.

For completely shutting himself out of her life. Erasing any and every tie between them. Making it as if he had never existed.

As if _they_ had never existed.

She felt like she had been dumped.

Thrown away.

Discarded.

Pushed aside.

Ignored.

"_Watch out!"_

Sakura felt something grab her by the scruff of the neck. She was yanked backwards, hard. Then, the loud sounds of skidding tyres and honking horn of a huge semi-trailer pierced the air before fading away.

"Sakura, what the _fuck _was that?" Naruto was surprised at her lapse. Sakura was always an attentive person. Extremely aware of her surroundings, especially in _this_ part of town. Never had he seen her so distant. Naruto did notice that she was a little quiet today. Not that she was completely quiet, but before she was almost road-kill, it dawned on him that she was paying absolutely no attention to him and what he was saying.

Naruto scowled at her.

"Sakura! Are you okay?" Naruto asked, putting his hand on her tiny shoulder. She didn't respond. "Sakura…? Hello?"

Sakura blinked.

"Why weren't you looking where you were going, Sakura-chan?" Naruto questioned again firmly. His scowl softened into worry.

Sakura's mind finally clicked back on track. "O-Oh, Naruto, sorry," she quipped, brushing his had aside and reaching back to fix her collar.

"You okay?" he asked, scanning her with his cobalt eyes.

She nodded. "I… I'm just a little tired, that's all," she lied, forcing a strained smile.

* * *

><p>It was quiet.<p>

Sasuke rose up from the couch. He hated sleeping on couches. For one thing, they were never large enough. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. It was just as quiet as it was when he had fallen asleep. He glanced across the room, through the foyer and into the kitchen. The huge clock on the wall above the wooden table depicted that it was near lunchtime.

Well, his stomach could have told him that.

Stretching his arms above his head, he waltzed into the kitchen. His stomach growled impatiently. He realized he hadn't eaten properly for days. He decided to cook himself some lunch. And a big one at that.

As he passed the front door, he noticed his belongings had been tossed by the front door. He felt a pang of annoyance, but dismissed it. He was going to stay here, no matter what Sakura said. There was no way he was going back.

A rumble of thunder gently, but purposely, rattled the house. Sasuke sighed. How long was this crappy weather going to keep going on? It had been raining ever since he had arrived back here.

Yes, it _was_ wintertime, but the winters here—he remembers—were actually quite pleasant. It never got too cold to the point where it would be completely unbearable. It just got a little nippy outside during the day and no more than a shower or two. Mother Nature would then unleash all her fury during the night, when nobody was out. But now, she seemed utterly pissed, and was shitting all over the town—so to speak.

* * *

><p>"<em>Sa-kuraa!"<em>

Said pinkette craned her neck. Ino was running up to her, hugging her books close to her chest. Her long, light blonde ponytail whipped gracefully behind her as she came to a halt in front of her. Those baby blue eyes were alight and sparkling, as they always did. The artificial light from the gloomy hallway shone against her skin, making her skin look soft and smooth to the touch. Sakura became jealous. Ino always looked good. And she knew it.

Ino was basically beautiful; there was no doubt about it. Boy after boy came and went, and she didn't seem to mind. She dated a lot of guys, but from what Ino had told Sakura, she had only "fucked a couple of guys".

But _how many_ times, was the real question.

"Ack, when are you gonna cut off that ratty mane?" Ino teased, taking a strand of Sakura's long link hair in the tips of her fingers. She then let it drop, as if she were fingering spaghetti.

"Good to see you too, Ino-Pig," Sakura shot back.

"I was getting to that, Billboard-Brow!" she sneered, giving Sakura a little shove. "So, ready for class?"

"Fuck no," Sakura spat, not turning to look at Ino as she rummaged through her locker.

"What's the matter?" Ino asked, her voice taking on a serious tone—a real effort for her.

Sakura paused. For a moment, she was tempted to spill her guts. She wanted to tell Ino that Sasuke was finally back, that he had shown up at her door, that he had hugged her, and that he had fallen asleep on her couch.

_That he came finally came back._

"Just tired," she grumbled. Ino just shrugged and the two headed off to class.

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

Class on a Monday was death.

All of her most hated subjects were on a Monday; Mathematics, Geography and English. All double periods. All torturous. Six whole fucking periods of absolute torture. For one thing, she was failing Math. Not failing it, just doing really badly. Linear Graphs and Quadratics were not her strongest point. Geography was just a subject picked during selection to fill in the gap. She had no real interest in the subject, and has so far never proved to be useful in the least.

And English?

Oh, don't get Sakura _started_ on _English._

The most important thing about being in Year 12, English was the most important subject, regardless of the other four. In short, if you failed English, you failed Year 12.

English determined the score you obtained in order to determine which university you were allowed in to. The study score you received in English determined the fate of said score. If you received pretty good, average scores in all five of your subjects, you received a good score. Also, the average study score of each of the five classes you undertake influences the score. If the average study score for one of your classes was extremely low, it simply dragged your score down—if it was a high one—to level the playing field.

So, if your classmates did poorly, you suffered too.

And the most irritating thing about her English class was that her teacher was a complete and utter dipshit who didn't know his ass from his elbow. He was the type who waffled on about anything and everything about the topic. When asked a question, his answers never made sense. And when he would set homework, he would not keep reminding the class of what assignments were due and on what date.

In short, Sakura knew she was going to bomb English.

Her teacher last year, in Year 11, was simply amazing. Even though she repeated a lot of the stuff the class went through, the text and topics become so stuck inside your head that you remembered everything when it came to SACs and exams. She even rewarded her students with little chocolates if they had completed all the work that was due. No wonder she aced that class last year; everyone just wanted a bloody chocolate.

* * *

><p>Sasuke fingered the little, oval locket around his neck while glancing at the big kitchen clock. It was still two hours before Sakura would arrive home.<p>

What the fuck was he supposed to do until then?

It wasn't like Sasuke had been alone in Sakura's house before. He had been, plenty of times. But not _completely_ alone. There was always another in the house, whether it be her parents or the weekly maid. But then again, he realized that he was never alone. He always had Sakura around.

Finding himself at the top of the huge wooden staircase, he walked aimlessly around on the top floor. He passed door upon door and window after window. The rain was still belting down mercilessly outside, and didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon.

Sighing, he turned a corner and came face to face with a familiar door.

_Sakura's room._

Sasuke had only ever been in Sakura's room once. He had come over after school as he'd learned she'd copped a nasty case of food poisoning. Her mother had asked him to take some medication up to her, as well as an ice-cold washcloth. Sakura's room—from what he remembers—was pink and _extremely_ girly. The walls were an extremely pale pink. It was so light, and was sometimes confused as off-white. The bed was also pink, along with—you guessed it—pink curtains. Photos—mostly of her and Sasuke—littered the walls and jewellery was scattered over every bare surface.

Cautiously, Sasuke pushed open the door and walked inside. He stopped short.

This was Sakura's room?

What happened to all the pink? Where were the pink bed sheets and pink curtains? It was completely different. The bed was striped with thick lines of different shades of deep blues—with the exception of a silver one every few lines. The walls were painted white. The curtains were simple and a deep blue—the same shade as a few of the stripes on her bed.

Sasuke casually strode around the room, picking up little things, giving them a once over and placing them back down again. His eyes scanned over the photos that littered her walls and dresser. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Sasuke let his eyes examine the photos.

He saw many photos of her with that blonde brat—what was his name again?—with funny faces plastered on. Both happy, displaying cheesy grins. Another few hundred photos depicted her with that Ino girl. Both girls looking all dressed up and ready to hit the town. Most photos were of Sakura and those two, while a few were also with that shy girl that liked Naruto—ah, yes, that's his name—and a few more with girls he didn't recognize.

Where were the photos of him and her? The last few photos were only of Sakura and that punk Kiba. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed. Since when were they friends? If Sasuke had bothered to look any harder, he could've sworn they were holding hands.

Finally, he found a photo of him and her. He plucked it from the wall, but was met with disappointment. It was not him and her. It was Sakura and Kiba. Sakura was wearing a lacy, red corset outfit with heavy makeup and frizzy hair, while Kiba's hair was darkened to the exact same colour as his. It was messier than before—if that was even possible.

Again and again, Sasuke scanned the wall and shelf of photos. But the harder he looked, there were none of him and her.

_That can't be right._

But it was.

There were no photos of Sasuke and Sakura.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay for another chapter! Bit heartbreaking at the end, which is what I wanted to leave you guys with, hehehe. The next one shall be up in a few weeks; I have a three-week holiday coming up, so I shall be typing away! You lovlies will be getting a lot of updates in the next two months!<br>**

**AND, I hope you all took note of what Sasuke had seen because they're very important! And will definitely pop up very soon! Mwuahahahaha!**

**R&R please!**


	5. Girl Talk

**Okay, so I changed the title of this story earlier to **_**Someday, Someday**_**. It serves a very, very special purpose to both the story and to me. It will make you guys go "Awwwww!" once you find out why! To see why, keep reading!**

**And a MASSIVE to those who have reviewed so far:**

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><strong>_

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**I would like to thank you all so much! Especially .Fire – thankyou for the questions and very positive feedback! And thankyou to Sweethonesty; I am glad to know that you believe my story is one of the best 2 SasuSaku H/S fanfics you've ever read :D and thankyou to everyone else who has urged me to continue on with this! I am happy that you guys like it so much! I even got 545 HITS OVERNIGHT! That totally made me happy!**

**And to those who read but don't review; come on. Just review. It doesn't kill you.**

**AND thankyou to all those who have favourite'd/alert'd/read/reviewed!**

* * *

><p>"You're awfully quiet, Billboard-Brow," Ino said bluntly. She took a massive bite of her sandwich, placed it down in front of her, and gazed skeptically at the pinkette. Her best friend <em>was<em> awfully quiet. Anybody with eyes could see that. And Ino wanted to why.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Sakura asked, flicking her plastic fork on her front teeth. A habit that she had picked up from Naruto. Sakura knew exactly what Ino was talking about. The events of yesterday afternoon were still dancing vividly in her mind. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake them. She would distract herself with idle chitchat, but when attention was swiped away from her, the thoughts returned.

"You were barely there in English," Ino commented through a mouthful of sandwich. Club sandwich, to be precise. Sakura hated the way Ino could eat anything and never put on a stitch of weight. She was either spending all her time at the gym—highly unlikely—or her metabolism was a beast.

"Just tired, that's all."

Ino shot her best friend an exasperated look. "Don't give me that crap. Something's up. What is it?"

"Nothing."

Ino just stared at her.

"Tell me."

"It's nothing."

"Bullshit. Tell me what's wrong, and tell me now."

Sakura sighed inwardly. Just like there was no use arguing with Naruto, there was absolutely no use arguing with Ino. She was stubborn, hardheaded and swore more than one would like to hear. But nobody minded. It wasn't excessive. Just enough to get her point across.

Sakura decided to lie. Little white lies get Ino off her back and out of her business. Not that Ino was nosy. She just genuinely cared about Sakura. And Sakura knew it. Ino was stubborn, hardheaded and kind of shallow, but when it came to friendship, she was extremely loyal. But what Ino didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"Rags," Sakura commented, shovelling a forkful of cafeteria pasta into her mouth.

'Rags' was the safest way for a girl to say she was on her period. Sakura never knew where the word originated from. Ino had said it to her one day when she was oddly grumpy. Sakura wasn't on her period, but when she was, her foul side got the better of her too. Ino must have believed this, so she nodded and continued to eat her sandwich.

They were eating inside today. The rain still hadn't let up. And to be honest, the shitty weather had contributed to her inner turmoil caused by the events of yesterday. It was always said that the weather proved to have an affect on one's emotions. And today was no exception.

"Where's Hinata?" Ino asked suddenly, looking around. Sakura hadn't noticed, but Hinata was nowhere to be found. It was actually odd; Hinata always joined Ino and Sakura for lunch. She never missed it, unless she was sick.

"Text her," Sakura said.

Ino instantly flipped out her iPhone and typed away. Sakura giggled inwardly. Even though Hinata rarely talked in full sentences, she had her phone strapped to her ass, just like Ino. It made no sense, and then some sense, but Sakura refused to argue. Hinata was better at speaking through text. She never had to actually look anyone in the eye, and through text, it was much easier to talk.

"Ah, she's attending _family matters_," Ino said after a while, making a face. "Stupid Neji. Why does he have to be such an asshole?"

"Don't blame him," Sakura said. "It's his father, remember? He just feels like he's been ripped off with the whole family tree, Neji being born second, not getting a cut in the recent money left by the heir of their family, blah blah blah. It's all about money. Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, okay then. I still think it's stupid."

"Of course you do," Sakura smirked.

Ino stuck her tongue out and continued to eat her sandwich. _Bloody Hell_, Sakura thought._ How long had she been nursing that effing sandwich?_ Lunchtime was nearly over, and she still had around half left.

"Hey, Ino, you busy tonight?"

Ino jerked up her head to her best friend. "Um, no, why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if I could sleep over tonight," Sakura asked, avoiding her gaze.

"Why?" Ino asked, blinking her big blue eyes at the pinkette. "What's the matter?"

"I don't like the storms, remember?"

Ino smiled lovingly at her best friend. Sakura was a real scaredy cat when it came to storms. Remembering how Sakura used to be scared of everything when she was younger, Ino giggled. You'd think she'd grow out of it by now. But low and behold, a loud crack of thunder just caused Sakura to visibly flinch.

Ino laughed loudly.

"Hey! Don't laugh!" Sakura protested, pretending to swipe at her. "So can I stay or not?"

"Yeah, you can stay," Ino said, taking the last bite of her club sandwich. She chewed, swallowed and wiped her hands on her kilt. "Come over at around five. I have to go do a few things."

Sakura smirked, leant forward and rested her chin on her hands. "Well, well, well. I think this is a new record, even for you, Ino-Pig."

Ino put on an innocent face and pretended to look shocked. "What?"

"So you're sick of him already?" Sakura's smirk grew wider. "Wow. I am surprised at you!" Sakura mocked.

Ino had been dating this poor sap for months now. Sakura couldn't remember his name. Kunkuro, or something like that. They met through friends, and it all went from there. He seemed like any other guy Ino dated. Good looking. Had financial stability. Tall, and had a good body. But after about four months of forking out all his cash, buying her gifts, taking her places, and hot nights of sex, Ino was ready to toss him aside.

Ino leant forward and slapped her best friend on the arm playfully. "Hey! Fuck up, alright? It's not my fault!"

Sakura giggled. "Alright then, do what you have to do. Just don't hurt the poor guy," she joked.

"I'll let him down easy," Ino winked.

* * *

><p>Another fifteen minutes had passed. Sakura was still not home.<p>

So where was she?

Sasuke sat in the kitchen, eyes fixated on the huge clock that overlooked the large wooden kitchen table. His anger sparked. It was just like Sakura to be late today. She was never late when she was to meet up with him. Never. It was the only time Sakura was early. He never understood why, though. Sakura _was_ on time—when she wanted to be.

And now, of all times, she was late.

* * *

><p>"You're late."<p>

Ino stopped in her tracks. She gazed up at the pinkette who was sitting on her front porch. Ino sighed exasperatedly and dropped her head. She trudged past her best friend and rummaged through her handbag for her keys. She flicked through them until she found the right one.

The door clicked and the blonde pushed it open. She kicked off her shoes and huffed on inside.

"Just hurry up and get inside. It's freezing out here."

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

"So how'd it go?" Sakura asked, taking a spoonful of ice cream and sliding it past her lips. She mushed it her mouth and then swallowed. She loved eating ice cream by the heater on cold days. Especially with Ino. It was how they unwound after a hard day. The mixture of hot and cold on their bodies was perfect. It sent shivers down their spines.

"Fine," Ino grunted, sucking in a spoonful of the delectable ice cream.

Sakura turned her glance away from the TV and stared at Ino. "Just fine?"

"Well, it didn't go exactly how I'd planned it." Ino gazed down at her half eaten bowl dismally. Sakura craned her head down to get a better glimpse. Ino's thick lock of fringe fell over her eyes, but Sakura could tell she had been crying. Her eyes were puffy and her mascara was blotchy, and caused some of her eyelashes to stick together.

"What happened?" Sakura asked. She grabbed the remote and turned down the volume a few notches. Ino never cried over a boy. Not since they were sixteen. And when Ino showed signs of crying over something—especially a boy—Sakura knew something bad had happened.

"He didn't take it so well," Ino mumbled, dropping her spoon in her bowl.

"How so?" Sakura pressed cautiously.

"Just got really upset, started abusing me—"

Sakura gasped. "_What?_ He abused you?" The pinkette gripped the blonde's shoulders and moved her so they were face to face. "Ino, _what happened_?"

Ino actually laughed. "Don't worry, Forehead," she assured. She gently removed Sakura's hands from her shoulders and continued. "He didn't lay a damn finger on me. He just got _verbally_ abusive. Nothing more. No need to get your panties in a twist."

Sakura sighed in relief. "Don't scare me like that, alright?"

Ino nodded thrice.

"So what did he say to you anyways?"

"Mainly about me being shallow. Said he loved me and didn't want to lose me." Ino snorted. She then picked up her spoon and scooped up another mouthful. "Put on that whole vulnerable act." She waved her spoon in the air for dramatic effect. "When I wouldn't reconsider my decision, he got really mad."

Sakura nodded attentively as Ino swallowed and proceeded to take another bite. "Anything else?"

Ino held up a finger as she mushed and swallowed. "Just said I was a waste of time, really. I don't mind. I wasn't looking for anything long-term anyways."

Sakura was impressed at how lightly Ino was being about all of this. Ino definitely had her fair share of boyfriends. And she caused most break-ups, so she never really got upset. But why had she cried, anyway? Sakura was determined to find out.

"But he made you cry," Sakura protested, remembering how puffy Ino's eyes were.

"Oh, yeah. I did cry. I actually realized I was going to kind of miss him, you know? I mean, he was really one of the sweetest boys I've ever been with…" her voice trailed off as she smiled into nowhere.

"…But?"

"But nothing. Just wasn't my type, you know?"

Sakura nodded. After a gossip session, random chitchat and more helpings of ice cream, Ino was pretty much back to her old self. She was loud, laughing and smiling. This made Sakura smile. Ino was always a strong person. She was pretty much damned near indestructible. She hardly stressed about anything, be it school or boys. Ino took everything steadily. She handled difficult situations extremely well. Sakura wished she could be as confident and as strong-willed as her blonde friend. Not that she wasn't any of those to begin with. She just wished to be more like Ino.

After dinner and a small homework session, both girls were in Ino's room. Sakura was lying on the spare single bed, stretched out. Ino was on her bed on the opposite side of the room. She had her laptop open, silently clicking away. Music rang out softly from the nearby iPod speakers.

Sakura refused to watch Ino on her laptop. Being on a computer reminded her of the day she realized Sasuke's Facebook page was gone. It also reminded her of all the emails he never returned. She never used a computer unless it was for homework. Nothing more. She need not worry herself with all the trivial aspects of the social networking world.

"Any news?" Ino piped up from across the room. Sakura craned her head sideways. Ino still had her gaze fixated on the glowing screen.

"Nope. You?"

"Nothing. God, Facebook is boring tonight."

"Log off, then," Sakura said, pulling herself into a sitting position. She reached over and pulled the packet of make-up wipes from the bedside draw. Sakura loved how she basically had a second home at Ino's house. Whenever she needed a place to stay, Ino's was the place to go. She didn't need to pack anything. A spare pair of pyjamas and a few pairs of underwear were kept neatly in the bedside draw.

Sakura ripped a wipe from the packet and proceeded to wipe her face. She never put make-up for school. Using a make-up wipe was just a lazier way of cleaning the dirt from her face.

"Hey, chuck me one."

Sakura used her free hand to toss Ino the packet. She caught it easily. Both girls were silent as they wiped their faces. The thunder, lightning and rain were still forever present outside. A sudden crack of thunder outside actually refused to affect the pinkette. As Ino shot a quick glance over to her best friend, she didn't seem phased at all.

"You sure you're okay?" Ino asked. She scrunched up the face wipe and placed it in her bedside table. Sakura was still kind of quiet. Ino couldn't quite put her finger on it. Sakura was foul when on her period. Tonight, or even today, she wasn't foul in the least. She seemed impassive and kind of distant. Ino knew deep down that something was bothering the pinkette.

"Why do you keep asking me that?" Sakura sighed from across the room. The light clicked off and both girls slipped into bed.

Ino refused to tiptoe around her friend's emotions anymore.

"It's about Sasuke, isn't it?"

Sakura fell deathly quiet. Hearing her say his name stung like venom. Ino hated Sasuke for leaving and not explaining why. She hated seeing her best friend cry until she would literally pass out from exhaustion. She hated seeing her friend grow gaunt and thin from not eating. Sasuke's departure had affected much, much more than just Sakura's feelings. It affected her whole body. Sakura refused to eat for months, and she lost a substantial amount of weight. The depression had kicked in and taken its toll on Sakura. In short, Sakura had become a zombie-like ghost of her formal self.

But Ino rejoiced when Sakura's appetite had gradually returned. She even cried one night when she had seen Sakura smile genuinely for the first time in months. Little by little, Sakura had picked up the shattered remains of her heart and moved forward. Something Ino was extremely proud of.

But now, she was scared that Sakura had found something. That she may have heard something, or received something from Sasuke. Something that may have triggered that former self to come rising to the surface. But there was absolutely no way she was going to watch her best friend suffer like that _ever_ again.

"You've found something, haven't you?"

Sakura sat up and turned on the bedside lamp. Ino quickly sat up and tightened her hand around the sheets, fearing that her assumptions were about to be confirmed.

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><p><strong>Hope you guys are getting sucked in now!<strong>

**I posted this because I reached 20 reviews, and because I finished another chapter. I have about two more chapters up my sleeve and am working on another!  
><strong>

**Thankyou so much for reading and reviewing!**


	6. Oh, How He Wished He Hadn't

**Don't worry, that Ino/Kunkuro pairing is not the only shocker I have in store for you! I hope you are all liking this story so far, and please don't forget to review too! I love loyal reviewers/readers!**

**And because I got lots of reviews and 571 HITS, I am going to post this chapter in order to REALLY suck you guys in haha. I keep going soft on you guys; updating all the time haha. Really, after this chapter, I only have 1 and a half more already typed, so please be patient! I have school holidays starting next week, so you guys shall receive lotsa updates throughout those three weeks! YAY! Haha.**

**Some shit is about to go down in this chapter, so please read carefully!**

**ENJOY!**

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><p>Sakura brushed the last stroke of foundation on her skin and admired her reflection. The foundation certainly made a difference. Her skin was fine without it, and she only wore it when she was going out on a date, or out with Ino.<p>

The pale liquid made Sakura's skin glow beautifully. She smiled, grabbed her mascara and applied ever so little to her outer lashes. She blinked and smiled even wider. For the first time this week, she actually felt happy. More like her old self. Just preparing for what was in store tonight brought her back to her life prior to Sasuke's return.

She tousled her hair one last time before exiting the bathroom. Laying on her bed was a beautiful dress. It was absolutely covered in sequins. Blue, gold and silver sequins were stitched around the garment in a most wonderous pattern that reminded her of a Greek goddess. It hugged her figure; perfect for tonight's festivities.

Her phone buzzed from her bedside table. She picked it up, read the message, typed a quick reply and set it down again. She turned back to her bed and admired the dress. It was certainly too flashy for tonight, but she realized it _was_ a special occasion.

An anniversary, to be exact.

Taking one last look in the mirror, Sakura pulled open her cupboard. She glanced down. _Now, which pair?_ There was a black leather pair. _Nah, too plain_. There was a sparkly pair. _Mmmmm, nup_. The last pair her eyes drifted upon was perfect.

She grabbed the pair of gold heels, passed a glance at her full-length mirror and darted out of her room and down the stairs.

The inner turmoil was daring to surface as she reached the bottom. She knew too well that_ he_ was still here. But she didn't care. She was going to let _Mr Asshole_ ruin tonight. She scowled at herself and the inner turmoil melted away.

Tonight was Friday night. And Mr Asshole had not said a word to her all week. He simply sat on the couch and watched TV. He often wandered into the kitchen, but that was only to feed his face. Sakura actually passed him a glance a few times. Their eyes just met, and that was it.

No talking. No asking questions. Nothing.

By Thursday, Sakura had gotten really shitty. He had been here for five fucking days and hadn't said a word. Not that Sakura ever said anything to him either. She was determined for him to say something first.

When Sakura had arrived home from school the day after spending the night at Ino's, Mr Asshole was obviously pissed. His glare said it all; _where were you_? He glared at her some more from the kitchen as she walked past to the stairs. She had merely shot him the evil eye and trotted upstairs.

She knew that would have pissed him off even more, but she didn't care.

She hadn't told Ino about Sasuke. She had lied to Ino, saying a blocked number had called her house. She told Ino that maybe that was Sasuke trying to reach her somehow. Ino shrugged and said that maybe it was. But she then said she was proud of the pinkette. 'You did the right thing' her best friend had said. 'Why should you keep trying? Let him be the one desperate to reach you for a change'.

Was lying to her best friend _really_ the right thing to do?

_Fuck, I really hope it was, _Sakura mused to herself as she sat on the couch doing up her heels.

"And where exactly are you going?"

Sakura's head jerked around so fast that she thought she just gave herself whiplash. It was Sasuke. Standing there in the archway between the lounge and the foyer, arms folded, a glare fixated on his beautifully carved face. His silk-like eyebrows were furrowed downward.

_Well, well, well. Mr Asshole is finally talking? What a sur-prise,_ Sakura thought sarcastically.

Sakura paid no attention to him. She turned her head back down to her feet and continued focusing on herself. She wished he would just go away. She wished he would walk off, hide somewhere deep in the house and not come out until she got home from her date.

But oh no, this was _Sasuke Uchiha_ we are talking about.

Sakura heard his silent footsteps come nearer and nearer. Her body froze when his familiar scent filtered into her nose. Her heart ached at the old, familiar smell. It was like a mixture of aftershave and cinnamon; very warm and inviting. Her heart began to pound incessantly, begging Sakura to take a chance. Begging her to stand up, walk up to him, bury her nose into his chest and breathe heavily.

She used every fibre of her being to resist that urge.

Sasuke's footsteps stopped. Sakura knew he was standing right beside her. His scent grew stronger. It filtered through her nose and lungs, threatening to suffocate her.

"I asked you a question."

"None of your God damned _business_," Sakura snapped, jerking her face up to meet his. His onyx eyes went cold and hard. Sasuke didn't like being given shady answers. He liked to get straight to the point and refused to beat around the bush.

The doorbell rang. Sakura stood up from her chair, paused to death glare the Uchiha, and stalked into the foyer. Her heels _clonked_ on the hardwood floor steadily. Sasuke turned on his heel and watched Sakura silently. He actually had to do a double take; she had really grown up. She was a couple of inches taller, and her blossom-pink hair was longer and as glossy as ever. She looked especially beautiful in that figure-hugging dress and high heels.

For a girl who dresses in the most unflattering of all clothing, Sakura really had come along way.

Before Sakura opened the door, she cocked her head to the side.

"Get out of here and hide. Nobody knows you're here, _remember?"_

Sasuke just blinked, his glare unwavering. He was resisting her. He was _challenging_ her. Sakura ossified, but held her ground. There was no way she was going to take any of his brooding crap right now.

Sakura's scowl deepened.

"I _mean_ it, Sasuke," she hissed, turning to face the brooding Uchiha. "If you want, we'll talk when I get home, okay?"

She didn't really mean that last part. She didn't want to talk to him when she got home. She just wanted to tell him to leave, that she didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore. That she wanted him gone, because she wasn't about to let him bring back all the hurt, anger and tears that she had let go of long ago.

Sasuke blinked slowly. It meant that he understood. He turned on his heel and stalked upstairs. The pinkette waited until she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore before waiting to open the front door.

* * *

><p>Sasuke heard the front door slam shut.<p>

He was sitting atop the hardwood staircase, elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped in front of his face.

_Sakura? On a date?_

He actually snorted out loud on that thought. Since when did _Sakura Haruno_ go out on _dates?_ Before he left, Sakura never once fussed over why she never went out on dates. Come to think of it, Sakura had _never_ been out anywhere with a boy, besides himself. Sasuke paused. He thought long and hard.

Maybe it wasn't a date. Maybe she was going out with that Yamanaka tart.

He thought again_. No, she wasn't going out with Ino_. He knew that bottle-blonde would never ring Sakura's doorbell. She always walked straight in. Just like Sasuke used to.

Sakura was definitely out on a date. That tiny panging in his chest made certain of that. He kept thinking. So, why would she be so desperate as to tell him to go upstairs and hide? Why was she acting so protective? If it were Ino at the door, it would have been a different story.

Sasuke snorted out loud again. _Was her date really that pitiful that she had to actually hide me from him?_

Rising from his sitting position, he made his decision. He was going to wait up for her. He was going to find out who Sakura's pitiful date was.

* * *

><p>At around 11:48pm, Sasuke heard a car door slam outside.<p>

He rose from his slumped position on the couch and listened. Another car door slammed. It was close by.

Sakura was home.

Slowly slinking down the stairs, Sasuke stepped down into the foyer and waited. He could hear Sakura's laughter echoing outside, getting louder and closer. Another chorus of laughter followed. It was male, loud and sounded like a hyena. Sasuke recognized that laughter immediately.

_No_, Sasuke thought. _It can't be_.

Sasuke marched to the font door and hurled it open.

Oh, how he wished he hadn't.

* * *

><p>"<em>Brrrrr, its freeeeeeezing!" Sakura whispered, hugging her tiny frame. It didn't help much. Her body still shook violently as she wind whipped past her.<em>

_Sasuke was seated beside her on her front porch. It was cold out, and her mother had forced the two outside. Sasuke was in on the birthday surprise her mother and father had planned. Her mother had persuaded Sasuke to keep Sakura occupied for the day while her parents set up for the surprise. It wasn't a hard task, really. Sakura was easily amused._

"_Can't we go inside?" she whined, hunching over. She flashed Sasuke a pleading look._

"_No," Sasuke stated flatly._

"_And why not?"_

_Sasuke paused. He didn't think she'd be so nosy. While the two were watching TV, Sakura's mother had passed the archway, shooting Sasuke a meaningful look. He knew what that meant. So, he had simply excused himself, explaining that he needed to get some air. Sakura's mother had ushered her outside to check if Sasuke was okay. When she wanted to head back in, Sasuke stopped her._

_He was almost in a panic. He cared about Sakura, and he didn't want the surprise to be ruined. Mainly because her mother would skin him alive if he didn't keep his promise. His mind ran a mile a minute. What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say?_

_In order to buy himself more time, Sasuke gripped one side of his large grey hoodie and wrapped it around Sakura's shoulder—like he always did when she was cold—and pulled her close._

_Maybe that will shut her up, Sasuke thought._

_And it did._

_Sasuke felt Sakura stiffen beside him and heard her breath hitch in her throat. He never understood why it did whenever he got this close to her. She lightly leaned into him, her shaking calming down._

"_Sasuke?" She turned up to face him._

"_Hn." _

_He didn't turn to face her. But after a quick thought, he realized that if he didn't turn to face her sooner or later, she might start yapping off again. So he turned to face her. Her nose was slightly red and her face went a little pale due to the cold. Suddenly, her face was somehow getting closer. He could feel her breath on the tip of his lip as her eyes went half-closed._

"_What are you doing?"_

_Sakura immediately jerked her head back and blinked profusely. She turned her gaze away from him. _

"_I… uh…" Sakura struggled to put words together._

_Sasuke just blinked at her. He had now removed his arm and hoodie from around her shoulder, and was looking quite perplexed._

"_I… um… saw something… on your face," she said, standing up to her feet. She turned her face away, tilting her head so her short bangs fell over her eye. Despite her attempt to cover her eyes, Sasuke could see that they looked somehow dejected. _

_Dejected?_

_She reached for the front door and clicked it open. She paused._

"_But it's gone now. Don't worry," she mumbled, closing the front door behind her._

* * *

><p>There they were.<p>

Him and her.

Embracing.

And _kissing._

And not just any kind of kissing.

Full on, lip-locked, sucking each other's face off, tonsil hockey.

Sakura's head was tilted upward, her tiny lips pushed needily against his. His arms were wrapped around her waist. His mouth moved against hers in sync, as if they had been doing it all their lives. Her arms were around his shoulders, pulling him closer and closer.

Sakura and her date.

_Kissing_.

After what seemed like forever, Sakura pulled away. Her date pulled back also, looking confused. He followed Sakura's gaze, which was firmly locked on Sasuke's.

"Hey, Sakura, who's that?" the brown-haired boy asked, keeping a tight grip on the pinkette.

Sakura awkwardly cleared her throat and shrugged off the boy's embrace. "Kiba, you remember Sasuke, don't you?"

* * *

><p><strong>PWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!<strong>

**Hope you guys enjoyed that little twist! Kiba and Sakura? Oooooooh! Hahahahaha. I hope it was just a big of a surprise as I hoped it'd be for all of you! Way more shit is gonna go down now! Keep reading!**

**And let me know if you liked that little flashback! There shall be plenty more of those popping up every now and again!**

**Please read and review!**

**No updates for about a week, lovelies! I have lots of maths, english, literature and graphics homework to do. I'm sure you can all hold on until then? ;)**


	7. New Determination

**Despite my condition that I only upload a chapter when I have one or more up my sleeve has failed. After uploading the last chapter, I got around 547 views! Which, logically, sent me flying over the moon. However, that did not result in the amount of reviews I expected. I only got 4 reviews for that last chapter. So PLEASE GUYS, can we be generous?**

**Otherwise, I won't update. I would like at least 7 reviews :)  
><strong>

**Anyways, prepare for way more shit to go down! Not right this second, but it's gonna build up to something BIG! So please keep reading! And a HUGE thankyou to all those who have reviewed so far! I really hope this gets like, a hundred reviews haha. I know that seems a bit much, but let's try and get it there, okay?**

**I though there should be some Sasuke/Sakura scenes in here (nothing like that, mind you) but something to keep the story going along. A lot more of Sasuke's memories are being revealed from now on in, so keep reading!**

**GOOD! Now, here you go:**

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><p>Sakura was, by now, in complete and utter turmoil.<p>

It was almost two weeks since Sasuke had arrived. All the feelings she had let go of long ago had come right back. She was always jumpy, irritable and sad. Ino pestered her constantly, knowing her sudden change had something to do with Sasuke. Ino still didn't know he was here. And Sakura was thinking it was about time to tell somebody, anybody.

Sasuke had been rather difficult—to put it lightly. He was still the same, impassive, colourless and brooding boy she'd known her whole life. Sakura was peeved and upset that Sasuke still hadn't confronted her the way she would have liked him to. Rather, he hadn't confronted her at all. They would sometimes meet each other's gaze, but that was it. Apart from confronting her prior to her date with Kiba, Sasuke hadn't said anything more to her. He just sat and watched TV, ate and slept.

Now, Sakura was getting worried. It was like there was a wall between them. Neither knew how to approach each other properly. Sakura would spend all of her free time in her room, racking her brain of how to approach him. It was so frustrating. Even though it was only February, her stress levels were through the roof. She had assignments to complete before her finals. Then, she had to study and prepare for her finals. And the gloomy weather wasn't helping to cheer her up in the least.

Ever since he had arrived, it was raining twenty-four seven. Rain battered the windows. Wind whipped through the trees. Winter was supposed to be coming to an end, but that end seemed an eternity away. For now, thunder and lightning graced the skies in a colourful display of raw power. By now, Sakura was used to the storms. No longer would she jump at a loud crack of thunder.

And if that didn't make matters worse, her parents would return home in the next few days.

Sakura sat at in her wooden chair, facing the giant mirror above her dresser table. She was brushing her hair after a long, cold day at school. The wind had been merciless, whipping anything and everything, causing her hair to knot. After ridding her long, pink locks of the last knot, she ran her fingers through it and sighed.

What was she to do?

How was she to break it to her friends that the boy that she loved, who caused her so much pain and suffering, had returned? More so, how was she to break it to her _parents?_ More questions riddled through her mind. Did Sasuke's father know he was here? Had he sent him? Was his father here on business?

As the thoughts raced, they grew worse.

Had Sasuke run away? Did something happen that caused him to leave? Had something happened to his father? Did the company go bankrupt? If it did, then why wasn't there anything about it in the papers? And what if—

_Stop._

_Just… stop it, Sakura._

She breathed in, held it, and let it out in a big whoosh. She had to calm down. After all, there had to be a perfectly good reason for Sasuke to suddenly show up at her door. There had to be a perfectly logical circumstance behind his return. Something must have happened, she knew that much.

But what was it?

Sakura sighed and leaned back in the wooden chair. It creaked under the strain. She closed her eyes. There was no use putting all of her effort into why he was here. Sure, it was pretty much number one on her top priority list, but other things came first. School and family were tops. Next was friends, and maybe then Sasuke's dilemma.

The pinkette placed her hairbrush down and looked at her reflection. Her hair was frizzy from the rain, and her skin was blotchy and pale from the cold. It took a while before the heaters would heat the entire house, and upstairs was always cold.

She shivered, grabbed the hairbrush and opened the drawer. She threw the brush in and slammed it shut. She looked at the contents strewn across her dresser. Photos of her and Naruto, her and Ino, her and Kiba and her and Hinata were stuck in every frame and over every bare surface.

She remembers how much of her life had depended on Sasuke. About ninety-nine percent of the photos she owned were of her and him; from the first day they became friends to the most recent taken before his departure. The hurt formed a pinch in her chest. The day after she tore all the photos down from her walls and dresser, she desperately wanted to re-pin them up. Ino had come over the next day to comfort her after being called by Sakura's mom.

Ino had found Sakura lying in bed, consumed in her bedcovers, sobbing lightly. Her gaze fixated out the window. It was raining.

And Ino had spotted the pile of photos stacked up on her dresser. Sakura could tell that hurt pinched inside of Ino's chest too. She knew all too well how she felt for Sasuke. She hated seeing her best friend hurt. She hated it even more when she saw her sobbing pitifully in bed.

Sakura remembers she wouldn't speak that day. So, Ino had left Sakura to her quiet sobbing and inner turmoil. Sakura knew Ino was desperate to help, but she had absolutely no clue as to how to approach her. She felt as if Sakura was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode at any given moment.

A few days later, Ino came by again to check up on Sakura. This time, she was out of bed. She remembers standing by her dresser, sifting through the photos of her and her departed crush. Ino also saw that a few photos of him and her were pinned back up.

She marched up to Sakura and grabbed a tight hold of her wrist. She demanded Sakura not put the photos up again. She explained that if Sakura was to ever move on and get her life back on track, she couldn't have constant reminders littered everywhere she looked. Sakura reluctantly agreed, but could not bear to part with the photos. So, to agree to Sakura's compromise, Ino grabbed an empty show box and placed the photos in there. She then taped the box shut and placed it on the bottom draw of Sakura's bedside table.

A sudden crash from downstairs tore Sakura from her inner thoughts.

She leapt off the wooden chair and flew down the stairs to the foyer. She whipped her head back and forth to try and figure out where the crash came from. First, she checked the kitchen.

Empty.

Next, she ran into the next room that would have the most glass in it; the lounge. There, she stopped dead in the archway. She gasped.

Sasuke was lying there, face down on the shattered remains of the glass coffee table. His onyx locks splayed everywhere. He was unmoving and deathly still. One arm was stretched above his head; the other was tucked in underneath his torso. Sakura could not help but stare in shock. Sasuke's sudden moan of pain triggered her mind again.

She was by his side quickly. "Sasuke?"

Another moan.

Forgetting that she was supposed to be loathing him, Sakura gently placed her hands on his shoulders. Ever so careful, she pulled Sasuke up into a sitting position bedside her. He winced and tried to pull away from her. But the shards of glass sticking out from his arms, cheek and torso caused him to cringe in pain.

Sakura caught him before he could fall onto his side.

"Come on, get up."

Sasuke agreed, but did so on his own terms. He pushed himself away from her and shakily got to his feet. Then, he stumbled across the foyer into the kitchen. Sakura groaned. Of course, it was _just like him_ to do everything on his own.

She got to her feet and went in search for the First Aid kit.

When she couldn't find Sasuke in the lounge where she had left him, Sakura found him in the kitchen. He was standing infront of the sink with a box of tissues resting next to him. She heard the soft _plink, plink_ of the shards of glass landing in the stainless steel sink. As well as a few uttered curses escaping Sasuke's lips.

Despite loathing him, there was no doubt he needed medical attention. She quietly crept up next to him. She then placed the First Aid kit on the black marble bench. Sasuke paused momentarily, but resumed picking out the shards.

"Here," Sakura said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let me."

Sasuke refused to listen. He pulled out another shard, then another. Sakura sighed exasperatedly. She wasn't about to put up with his silent bullshit any longer. She slapped his hand away from the glass. This offered a glare in return. But Sakura glared back, then proceeded to rummage through the kit for a pair of tweezers.

Gracefully, as if she'd done this a thousand times, she began pulling out the shards from his upper right arm. Silent moments ticked past, albeit the _plink, plink_ of the tiny bits of glass landing in the sink.

Realizing how close she was to him, Sakura was tempted to confront him. Her willpower that was holding her back from being the first to break was faltering. She had promised to wait until he would break first, but alas, she wavered. There was no way her gnawing conscience was going to let her rest easy until she found out why he was here. She ignored her women's intuition and prepared herself. But, she needed to break the ice first.

"How did it happen?"

Sasuke's onyx eyes flickered to her, then down to the floor. It happened so fast, she didn't even know if it actually happened. He didn't answer. They both knew what had happened.

Sakura wasn't about to give up. She even tried to stifle a smile.

"You fell?"

She watched as Sasuke shut his eyes and arched his eyebrows up, and then down, as if to say that yes, even the greatest of us all trip over and fall sometimes. Sakura actually giggled. Imagining Sasuke trip and smash a glass table was like watching the President fall offstage during a rally.

"You're paying for that." She roughly plucked quite a large piece from his shoulder and flicked in into the sink. Sasuke's lip quirked into a slight smirk, his way of ignoring the pain Sakura had inflicted on purpose.

For a while, neither said anything. They quietly enjoyed each other's company as Sakura carefully, but quickly, plucked out every piece of broken glass. Sasuke actually seemed more relaxed, Sakura noticed. She smiled inwardly. One brick was finally pulled down from the wall between them.

Once she had plucked every shard out, she rummaged through the kit once more. She pulled out a bottle of antiseptic cream and a bag of cotton balls. Sasuke watched her intently. He remembers Sakura always dreaming of one day becoming a nurse. She loved to take care of others. She even put others health before her own, sometimes.

He remembers an instance where he himself had come down with a nasty case of the flu. He was bed-ridden for a week and a half. Ignoring all his text messages that repeatedly told her to stay away or else she'll get sick, Sakura had come over. Standing in his bedroom doorway was said pinkette. In her hands was a steaming bowl of her mother's famous chicken noodle soup.

For three days, Sakura had come over and fed Sasuke the soup. His muscles were sore from the illness, so the pinkette had helped him eat. He loathed being fed like a toddler, despite the fact that he could well in fact use his arms. But somehow, he didn't mind when it was Sakura feeding him. The next day, Sakura wasn't at school. She herself had caught Sasuke's flu. In order to repay her, Sasuke brought over his mother's famous red rice. But he refused to feed her and risking getting sick all over again.

He hadn't realized Sakura was done applying the cream when he found her to be staring at him intently. Her expression was serious. Her words were slow and cautious.

"Why are you here?"

The desperation was alive and raw in her tone. Sasuke tore himself away from her gaze. There was no way he could tell her the real reason he was here. She would get mad. She was already confused and hurt. He didn't need a third emotion mixed in.

"Why won't you answer my question?"

Sakura sighed irritably. She knew this was coming. Cleverly, she had avoided any conversation with the Uchiha until he was ready. But now, she knew he had to talk sooner or later. Methodically—and quite huffily—she picked up the soiled cotton balls and placed them in the bin. Sasuke watched her move around the kitchen, obviously annoyed. He noticed she was avoiding any eye contact with him. She stopped.

"Look, if you don't want to answer me, Sasuke, that's f—"

Sakura was cut off by Sasuke abruptly exiting the kitchen. He avoided any eye contact with her as he turned the corner. She sighed. Deep down, she could not ignore the fact that Sasuke was hiding something. It was not like him to keep anything to himself. He was rather blunt and was not afraid to tell someone off, be the situation correct and his mood in a certain way.

She had known Sasuke for a long time. Despite being apart for three years, he was still the same; impassive, cold, and indifferent. Sakura had changed, though. For the better, she reminded herself.

However, she was still determined more than ever to find out what he was hiding.

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><p><strong>Hope you all enjoyed that!<strong>

**Now, see that teeny, little button just a little lower down the page? It's called a review button. Click on it.**

**Thankyou to those who review! xx  
><strong>

Also, I have a small announcement: I am currently searching up courses for university, as in this point in time, it is crucial for me to do so. Anyways, my ultimate goal is to do automotive design as a career choice. In order to do so, I need to have a lot ot prerequisites completed in order to get into the course I want to get into. It requires a lot of hard work. So I'm sorry to say that there will be very limited updates from now until November. In that time, it is the time for students to apply to university and complete folios. So please be patient with me. I am not abandoning this story. I am merely going to be taking a break for a while. I need to keep my studies up to scratch or I won't get in. It's as simple as that. So from here on out, very spaced out updates. I will try to update when have some free time, which will be rare for me. I'm sorry guys, but this is life choices I'm making here, so you should understand. But please don't forget about this story. I WILL finish this! Believe me! :) thanks guys! R&R! :) xx 


	8. Just The Tip Of The Iceberg

**Hope you guys enjoyed that little fluff moment! It was quite sad too. Poor Sakura. I don't want to reveal why Sasuke's here right off the bat, because then there would be no point in even telling the story haha. His reasons are going to be revealed later in this chapter! But please don't skip ahead! I have a feeling Sakura is going to do something drastic…!**

**Plus, Sasuke also opens up a little about the relationship between him and Sakura!**

**ALSO: I'd like you all to do a huge favour for me after reading this; go read my other story, Through The Looking Glass. I've been working on it for a very long time. I've gotten the views I've wanted, but nobody is leaving any reviews. And it shits me :( so please, be a dear and go check it out :) you can just skip to chapter 3 if you want; that's where Sasuke comes in!**

**_HEADS UP! THE VERY END OF THIS CHAPTER IS VERY CRUCIAL!_  
><strong>

**Hahahaha. ENJOY!**

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><p>Ino stepped out of her larger than need be walking robe.<p>

"Does this make my ass look huge?" she asked. The blonde cocked her body at an awkward angle in the full-length mirror. Sakura was lying on the bed. She looked up form her textbook. Ino was wearing a thick black slip that hugged every curve. Accentuating this outfit was a long gold necklace. Ino turned left and right, then right and left.

Sakura sighed. "No, your huge ass makes your ass look huge."

Ino glared at her best friend. She then flicked the long lock of fringe and turned her attention back to her reflection. She pulled at the sides and fiddled with the straps. She huffed impatiently.

"Ino, this is the millionth dress you've tried on. Can't you just pick one already?"

The blonde cast the pinkette yet another glare. Ino knew Sakura was just teasing. This was the usual ritual on a Friday night. Sakura would go to Ino's house and help her pick out a dress for the following date she had on Saturday night. Ino never went out on a Friday night. That was her girl-time with Sakura. The two would just enjoy each other's company; reading magazines, watching MTV, cooking dinner and talking until the early hours of the morning.

The usual girly sleepover.

Sakura focused her attention back to her textbook as Ino went back into her walking robe. Maths was a killer. She was usually good at it, but not this time. Being smart as she was beautiful, Ino was always there to help her.

Sure enough, when she was alone, the events of last night played through Sakura's mind. Sasuke getting hurt. Healing Sasuke's wounds. And seeing him walk out without saying so much as a thankyou. And the tears? Oh, how they threatened to fall. And, the sob that had tore its way out as she walked into her room. She wanted to run up to him and confront him, but she could not. She could not bring herself to do it.

After all, what was she to say?

Sakura snorted inwardly._ Isn't that all I've seemed to be thinking of lately?_

She was so sure she had every word planned out. But when he started asking about Kiba, and when he suddenly fell, and she healed his wounds and he practically stormed out, all things she was sure of flew out the window. All her confidence was shattered. Everything that she believed was all coming down.

Why was Sasuke doing this? Why was he avoiding telling her why he had come? And more importantly, why did he hug her when he first arrived?

"Forehead!"

Sakura jumped at the shrillness of Ino's voice.

"Have you not been listening to a word I'm saying?"

The blonde looked irritated. Her hands were on her hips. She was glaring down at Sakura.

Sakura sighed. "Sorry, Ino. I… I was just trying to solve this problem. What were you saying?"

Ino's expression immediately softened. She knew something was definitely bothering Sakura if she never retaliated when called 'Forehead'. She could even see it in the pinkette's eyes. They were downcast, and her expression was serious, if not sad.

Ino crouched down infront of Sakura.

"I know there's something bothering you, Sakura."

Sakura avoided her gaze. "I'm fine, Ino."

"No you're not, and you damn well know it!" Ino huffed. "Now please, Sakura, tell me what's wrong. I can't help you if you don't tell me."

Sakura sighed again. _There really was no use arguing with Ino_.

So, she mentally took a deep breath and began to tell her everything.

* * *

><p>The pinkette sighed as she pushed the front door closed, the last howls of wind blowing leaves into the foyer before falling dead on the black and white tiles. She shivered and unsheathed her coat. It dropped to the floor with a soft plop. She had no energy to put it where it belonged; on the coat hook. Her heart was too busy racing, recounting the moment she had told her best friend everything.<p>

Told her about Sasuke.

Told her that he was finally back.

For once in her life, Ino was speechless. Her mouth had opened countless times to speak, but only confused choking sounds came out. So she shut her mouth for a few moments before telling Sakura that she was on her own from now on.

Sakura was shocked. Ino further explained that Sakura was now a grown woman. Said that she had to handle this however she saw fit. This was, ultimately, between her and Sasuke; nobody else. Her friends can't fight all her battles for her. Yes., they were there for her through her darkest hours, but it now, it was Sakura's turn to take action. Ino knew that getting anyone else involved was not the right thing to do. Sakura was to confront Sasuke on her own.

She found Sasuke in the kitchen, slicing something. The steady slicing echoed throughout the kitchen. Suddenly, rain picked up again, and began to fall down in torrents, drowning out the slicing; drowning out any other sound that threatened to speak up. Said pinkette breathed out a sigh of relief; she had walked home as Ino was late for her date, and she was thankful that the rain had held off until now.

Sasuke paid no attention to her as she entered the kitchen, but gave a small grunt to show that he knew she was there. She plopped her bag down on one of the bar stools that lined the bench and continued to watch Sasuke slice and shop vegetables. She watched his hands move methodically. She remembers that he used to come over and cook. It was when her parents were either away on business, or when both sets of their parents got together for dinner. He was a good cook, she remembers. The warm, tangy aroma from the bubbling pot on the stove behind him wafted into her nose.

Sakura breathed in heavily, closed her eyes and sighed. She suddenly realized how much she missed that tangy scent. Memories suddenly flooded back. Her and Sasuke giggling as they cooked together. Her and Sasuke bumping each other's hips in order to see who would stuff up first. Her giggling as she would surprise him by digging her fingers into the sides of his ribcage. Sasuke groaning in annoyance and—

"I'm sorry."

Sakura blinked. _He's… apologizing…?_

"What f—?"

"The table," he murmured, scraping the neatly chopped up vegetables into a nearby bowl.

"O-oh," she stammered, wiping a strand of hair out of her eyes. "This is your way of saying sorry?"

The Uchiha nodded and began slicing up a potato. He was done in less than a minute. Sakura could not help but smile; not only in happiness, but in shock. Sasuke hadn't cooked since the day his mother and brother passed away. All his recipes were his mother's. She had taught Sasuke everything she knew.

"Smells delicious," Sakura commented after the long silence between them. Sasuke only nodded in response as he gave the thick soup a taste test. He blinked for a few seconds, then added a few more pinched of salt.

She knew he was cooking his mother's favourite soup. His mother had only ever cooked that soup on special occasions, like a birthday or an anniversary, or a promotion at work. It was her best dish, far better than anything Sakura's mom made.

Though she'd never admit that aloud.

After three bowls of the tangy, delectable soup, Sakura decided to get Sasuke to talk. They were silently cleaning up to the soundtrack of the TV still on in the lounge room.

"Sasuke, we need to talk," she said, trying to sound stern.

She felt him stiffen beside her as they were scrubbing plates and cutlery. He wasn't going to get away this time. So she continued.

"Look, Sasuke. I don't know why you're here. I don't know what's happened to get you to suddenly show up here. I am glad you're back, don't get me wrong, but you've been living here for almost two weeks, and you haven't told me a single thing!"

Sasuke actually turned to face her.

"And that was fine, at first, but you have to tell me sometime, you know. And whatever it is, you can tell me! You know that, don't you?"

Sasuke was about to open his mouth to say something, but she held up a hand to cut him off. She was in no mood to be interrupted just yet.

"And by the way, my parents will be home in three days. So, you better start talking," she said, finishing off that last part threateningly.

She went back to scrubbing the pot that had held the soup. Those burnt edges were an arduous task. But soon, the black bits cracked off and slipped through the holes in the sink. Silence followed. The boy beside her still hadn't said anything.

Sakura sighed irritably.

She was about to say something when the phone rang. She quickly dried her hands on the dishtowel and answered it.

_"Sakura?"_

The girl froze.

"…Mom?"

Sasuke spun around so quickly that he could have given himself whiplash. His eyes were wide.

_"Sakura, my dear! How are you?"_

"H-hey, Mom! I-I'm good, thanks."

_"That's wonderful, dear. Oh, I'm so sorry that we haven't called you until now! You know how your father is with his work; he won't call until he has finished every last bit!"_

"That's alright, I know how it is." Sakura faked an interested laugh and turned away from Sasuke.

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

Sasuke was now watching her, his eyes calmer now. He could have sworn that his heart stopped and fell into his stomach at the mention of her mother calling. Sakura fell into a deep conversation with her mother, completely forgetting that he was even there. He smirked to himself. Typical women. Sakura cradled the phone and cocked her hip to the side as she began telling her mother about school, about Ino, the usual—he assumed.

Feeling that he wasn't needed, he exited the room and headed upstairs to take a shower. Normally, he would shower when Sakura was out, but he dismissed that. He picked up his duffel bag from the front entry—where it had lain for the past two weeks—and quietly padded upstairs. He suddenly realized that wearing the same clothes for two weeks was starting to be a bad idea. He cursed himself for not packing more clothes. But then again, he had no idea how long he was even going to stay for.

As he passed Sakura's room, his pace slowed. A tiny pang stung him in his chest. He was reminded of the non-existent photos. The ones that should have been in _her _room, plastered all over the walls, just like he remembered it. It saddened him to see that she has removed them, but he didn't blame her.

He couldn't blame her.

* * *

><p>After the rather long phone call with her babbling mother-dearest, Sakura finished cleaning up the kitchen. She was about to call out to Sasuke when she suddenly heard the steaming hiss of the shower being turned on. Left with nothing better to do, she decided to wash his clothes, along with her own in preparation for the week ahead.<p>

She gathered up the blankets he had been sleeping with, the pillowcase and headed upstairs. She then quickly darted into her room and grabbed the small pile of dirty clothes and threw them in the basket tucked under her arm.

As she passed the bathroom that Sasuke was in, she noticed his black duffel bag resting against the door. It looked quite full. The pinkette guessed that he had some dirty laundry in there. She pondered for a moment. Would Sasuke mind if she washed his clothes without him asking?

No, of course not!

So, smiling to herself, she plopped the basket down beside the bag. Adjusting herself to her knees, she pulled the duffel bag close. She carefully listened. The shower was still going. From what she remembers, Sasuke always took quick showers. So she decided to quickly rummage through and head off to the laundry room back downstairs.

Carefully, she stationed the bag so it wouldn't tip and gently gripped the silver zipper. Her eyebrows furrowed. Despite the bag looking so full and heavy, it weighed lighter than she imagined.

Disregarding that, she pulled the zipper.

Without warning, a barrage of little white envelopes sprang out of the bag, causing them to scatter on the floor around her. Cursing to herself, Sakura began to gather up the envelopes into a small pile. She quickly decided it best to just leave his belongings where they were. Sasuke would probably wash his own clothes if he—

As she spared a glance at the front of one of the envelopes while placing it back into the black duffel bag, Sakura stopped dead.

"_Sakura, dear, what are you doing?"_

_Her mother cautiously poked her head through her daughter's bedroom door. Sakura was stationed at her chest of drawers, a pen in hand._

_She was feeling a little better today. Still rather torn over Sasuke's departure, but a little happier, nonetheless._

"_Just writing something," she responded, flashing her mother a small smile._

_Her mother almost teared up. She knew how hard it was for her daughter to have such a heavy burden placed on her shoulders. She knew the pain her daughter was feeling; at her daughter's age, she had lost her best friend due to cancer. Also due to her motherly instincts, she was always on alert, willing to help her daughter through this tough, familiar time._

_The pinkette's mother quietly crept in and observed her daughter's actions. "What are you writing, dear?"_

_Sakura stopped writing and looked up. "A letter."_

_Her mother crouched down beside her daughter on her knees, so their heads were level. She gazed at the tiny writing on the paper. At that precise moment, she knew whom her daughter was writing to._

_She was writing to Sasuke._

_Sakura heard her mother sigh exasperatedly beside her. _

"_Sakura, you know—"_

"_Mom, I know what I'm doing," she said, placing the pen down. "I… I just want to try… one more time… please?"_

_Her mother opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. She knew she could not prevent all the hurt from attacking her beloved daughter. She knew as well as any other parent that Sakura had to learn from this on her own, regardless of how hurt she got._

_So her mother stood up, dropped a small kiss on her daughter's pink locks and exited the room._

_Sakura sighed._

_It had been 7 months since Sasuke left, and around 3 since she had discovered all means of contacting him were either deleted, erased or secretively changed. For what reason, she still did not know. Frankly, she did not care anymore. All she wanted was to have some sort of contact with him, even be it through a primitive form of communication such as writing a letter. _

_She did not know his new address, so she decided to send it to his father's company. Surely, they still received letters, right?_

_Finished off the last couple of words, Sakura folded up the small, one page letter, tucked it safely in its envelope. She flipped it over, scrawled the address on the front, and headed downstairs._

Her hands began to shake.

Tears threatened to fall.

Her eyes scanned over some of the upturned envelopes. She roughly picked one up and held it close, reading the address over and over and over; _the address written in her handwriting._

**_347 Harbour Esplanade._**

Her heart racing, she tossed it aside and picked up another.

**_347 Harbour Esplanade._**

Again and again, she went through every single letter, and again and again, the same address came up.

**_347 Harbour Esplanade._**

The same address of Sasuke's father's company. Written in _her_ handwriting. Faster and faster, she sifted through every single envelope, and the result was always the same. Her eyes went wide as she muttered "no" to herself as the reality of it all finally sunk in.

She slumped over her knees and buried her face in her hands.

Every single letter she had ever sent to Sasuke was in that black duffel bag...

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><p><strong>MWUAHAHAHAHAAAA!<strong>

**I rather enjoy cliffies, don't you?**

**Keep all that last part in mind, it is extremely crucial to the title of the story, AND as to why Sasuke is REALLY here!**

**Please read and review! x  
><strong>


	9. Torn Between Two Loves

**I see you all enjoyed that little surprise at the end! And keep in mind, that's crucial! Both the letters and the title have a very special meaning to the story, and also to me! But, that's not the biggest surprise I have! Mwuahaha!**

**So, here's the next chapter! There may be a confrontation, there may not be one, depends on how I feel. I don't want to rush this story either, so bear with me! Plus, SASUKE OPENS UP!**

**PS – I think this gets a little lemony. It's my first time writing some of it, so please be kind! Plus, I'm sure you've all been waiting for it, hehehe…**

**Okay, enough babbling, ENJOY!**

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><p>In the dark, alone together. Nothing could be heard but their heated breathing. He trailed sweet, tender kisses down the nape of her neck. She moaned lightly in response, thus earning longer, wet kisses. His hands slid around her waist and the back of her head protectively. His shifted his weight so he was pressed up against her, closing any gap left between them.<p>

She kissed him back tenderly as his lips came back up to meet hers. They kissed for some time, letting themselves become completely lost within it. He was shirtless with his jeans undone, while she was in nothing but her underwear. It was getting pretty heated. Kiba had almost torn her clothes off. He could be a little animalistic at times, but that is what the pinkette enjoyed. Their 'first time' was on their one-year anniversary. Kiba had somehow managed to get his parents out of the house for the night. And when Sakura came over, one thing led to another, and she was no longer a virgin.

But in the midst of their second heated session, her mind was elsewhere. Ever since she had found _those letters_, she was a constant scatterbrain. Constantly, she mulled over whether to confront him, or leave it for him to make the first move. She had cried when she had found those letters. Not from sadness, but from pure joy. There was still some little ray of hope that after all these years that he still cared for her! Deep down, she knew there was no way he could stop caring for her the way she thought he did.

Slowly, his hand came up to unclip her bra.

"Kiba…" the pinkette murmured softly, breaking the kiss.

The boy looked stunned. He blinked, his eyes going a little wider. His hands began to slide off of her body.

"Sakura, did I do something wrong?" Kiba asked, looking up and down her body.

She smiled at his baffled expression. Oh so lightly, she placed a tender kiss on his lips. The brown haired boy, after being with Sakura for one and a half years, knew that something wasn't sitting right with his girlfriend.

"Sakura, what's wrong?"

The boy then sat up, completely removing his hands from her body. He was a little upset; he was in the _mood_, for Christ sake! The pinkette then sat up and faced him, a serious, yet apologetic look etched onto her face.

"I… I just have some things on my mind," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze. The boy's face fell.

"Do you want to stop?" Kiba asked, leaning back and sitting cross-legged at the foot of his bed. He ruffled a big hand through his spiky, brown hair, looking quite embarrassed for himself. Even though he was the loud, obnoxious type, he could be quite the sweetheart. Yet another reason why Sakura had chosen him.

Suddenly, feeling quite foolish for thinking about something that could be dealt with another time, the pinkette smirked and hungrily leapt at the boy. He was caught by surprise, but nonetheless, accepted his suddenly wild girlfriend.

The heated kissing and touching resumed. The girl moaned as the boy pulled off her lacy underwear, followed by his own clothing. She pulled him closer, begging for more. He accepted, becoming a little rougher. Louder and louder she screamed as their bodies moved together in the dark. Soon enough, they both came, howling each other's names in complete and utter surrender. Kiba collapsed on top of her breathing heavily. Sakura traced aimless patterns in his ruffled hair as he traced her jaw-line with tiny kisses.

* * *

><p>Yet again, the brooding Uchiha was left alone.<p>

On the couch he lay, paying absolutely no attention to the blaring TV. He traced his calloused fingers around the rim of his glass. He sighed. Sakura was out on a date again tonight with that mutt. And not only was she out on a date, she had left with an overnight bag.

He wasn't stupid. He knew fully well what their cate consisted of. And it angered him.

Not because he had feelings for Sakura, but for the fact he had missed so much. He had missed so much in the past three years. His chest pangs at the thought of the girl he used to know. She was fragile, innocent, _untouched_. And now, he knew she wasn't any of those things anymore. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

Sasuke let the last gulp of whiskey trail down his throat. A warm sensation buzzed in his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut and poured himself another. He thanked her father for not bothering to put a lock on his liquor cabinet.

After his third glass, he felt a little tired. So he packed the bottle away, washed the glass and padded upstairs. As Sasuke walked past the spare bedroom, he noticed his clothes neatly folded upon it. He paused by the doorway, then walked in. His black t-shirt was washed, along with a pair of his socks. He carefully picked up the shirt and examined it. The warm scent of washing detergent and scent of the shirt being in the dyer greeted his nose.

He grip tightened on the shirt. Why was she doing this? Why was she still being so nice to him? He knew he damn near didn't deserve her kindness. He thought for sure that she would have kicked him out. Or at least beat him senseless for leaving all those years ago. But no. She did neither of that. Sakura really was too nice for her own good. Instead, she welcomed him with all the kindness she had ever shown to him throughout their friendship.

_She still cared._

He plopped down on the edge of the large bed. He rested his elbows on his knees and sighed. How as he ever going to tell her the real reason he was here? She knew she still cared, but how much faith was she willing to put in him? Not enough, he guessed. Surely she would be more than mad if he had told her everything.

Shaking his head of these thoughts, Sasuke saw his black duffel bag resting on the chair by the door. His heart leapt into his throat as sudden realization. Had Sakura opened it?

He quickly got up, picked up the bag and sat back down on the bed. Carefully, he held the bag in his lap and unzipped it. A wave of relief washed over him. All the letters were still there. After leaving, he realized that these letters were the only things he had to remind him of her. That, and the silver locket around his neck that she had mailed him one year for his birthday. He subconsciously fingered it as he was reminded of his father's strong words.

Sasuke was told to pack light when they were moving. His father explained that there was no room for all of his possessions to come along. Fugaku's company was going under, for sure. There was no denying that. Sasuke couldn't bring himself to tell Sakura that _that_ was why he had left. Instead, he lied to her. He said that his father needed a change of scenery after… after the accident.

Remembering the slight fear she held for his father, and the memory of the accident, he knew she wouldn't protest against him.

And Sasuke felt horrible for lying to her. He never wanted her to get hurt. _Never_. If anything, that was the last thing he'd ever do. And if it had come down to that, he would have rather died.

Slowly, he sifted through each and every letter. Sakura had taken it upon herself to date each and every letter she had sent. After seven moths, each and every month after he was gone, Sakura had started sending letters. Although, there was something quite peculiar about the letters she kept sending.

_An infuriated Uchiha marched into his father's office. He slammed his palms on the huge, double doors and swung them open, a glare fixated onto his usually stoic features. His father stopped shuffling through his papers and looked up, quite agitated by his son's sudden interruption._

"_Why?" Sasuke seethed, marching up to his desk._

_Fugaku merely mimicked his son's glare. "Why what?" he bit out._

_Sasuke marched forward and slammed his hand down on the desk. His father's assistant flinched, gripping his clipboard tighter._

"_You __**damn**__ well know why!" Sasuke boomed, tears threatening to fall. But he was an Uchiha, after all. And Uchiha's don't cry._

_His father shut his eyes briefly, then opened them._

"_It was in the best interest for you, my son," Fugaku said, propping his elbows up on his paper-covered desk. Sasuke's eyes widened in anger._

"_Best __**interests**__?" he spat._

_His father nodded solemnly. "Yes."_

_Sasuke straightened up, crossing his arms over his chest._

"_Tell me, father, who exactly informed you of my best interests, and felt in necessary to erase my Facebook page, change my cell phone number, and not tell me of her constant calls? What possessed you to be so—"_

_Suddenly, Fugaku stood up, flashing a dangerous glare at his youngest—and only—son._

"_If you want to keep our heads above water, **boy**, you will see it wise to keep your head down and your mouth shut—do you understand?"_

The first letter came on the near seventh month mark of his departure. At his father's company, massive lay-offs had to be made. Fugaku cherished his employees, despite the cold and hard façade he had built up over the years. Sasuke knew it was hard for his father when the day came where his father had to lay off his best friend within the company. They hadn't spoken since. It was unfair really. Fugaku had already lost the love of his life and one of his precious sons; another bond broken was too much for the old man.

Sasuke was put on mail duty that day, he remembers. He padded quietly through the—now small—firm. Seeing the stress his father was under, Sasuke had actually offered to do mail collection until a new person could be hired. Sasuke knew that wouldn't be for a long while, but he would do anything for his father. Fugaku wasn't the only one who had changed after _that day_.

Anyway, Sasuke was sifting through the array of packages, and large and small envelopes. Slowly, but precisely, he arranged the letters into the appropriate pigeonholes of the still existing employees. Every other letter was forwarded to the homes of the recently lain-off.

While sorting through letters, something caught had Sasuke's eye. He cautiously picked up the small envelope and eyed the handwriting. The _familiar_ handwriting.

He quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching. Upon seeing no one, Sasuke tore open the letter. He plucked out the piece of paper within it, unfolded it and began to read:

**February 3****rd****.**

_**Sasuke,**_

_**I have so many questions that need answers, and I understand if you don't want to answer them. I'm not asking for much, but please, I just need to know that you're okay. I need to know that you're doing well. I need you to reply, even if it is only a 'yes' scribbled on a piece of paper. That's all I need.**_

_**I understand why you've left Sasuke. I will not argue against your father's wishes any longer. But one thing still escapes me: why have you erased every line of communication between us?**_

_**I'm sure you have your reasons, and I respect that. Anyway, please write back to me.**_

_**Always yours,**_

_**Sakura Haruno.**_

* * *

><p><strong>There it is! Your first glimpse of one of the many letters! Don't worry, you will all see more later to come! I typed this in one sitting, because of the amount of views I received! Thankyou to all who have viewed and reviewed! Please, don't for get to REVIEW! They keep me going. And if they stop, so do I.<strong>

**Plus, more Sasu/Saku moments coming up! And I hope you enjoyed that little scene with Sakura and Kiba! Hehehehe...**

**PEACE! xx**


	10. Brick By Brick

**I can tell you guys are enjoying this; me giving off teeny hints to the real plot of the story. It makes me feel so good to know that you guys enjoy reading this! This is, after all, my first Sasuke/Sakura fanfic, but I've read plenty to help me get started! Also, I just want to remind you all that I do want this to be quite a long story, with more than 20 chapters completed when it reaches it's end (but hopefully more than that).  
><strong>

**Also, what did you guys think of the lemon in the last chapter? Was it good? I mean, did I type it properly? Please let me know!**

**PS – I'm going to add a little humour in here for you, just to lighten things up! Not too much, just a bit of good-natured humour.  
><strong>

**ENJOY!**

* * *

><p>The day was surprising. Not only had the rain stopped, it was actually sunny enough to stay outside. People walked the streets, free of the black, synthetic tools hung over their heads like a dark rain cloud itself. Although, some suspicious glances were passed up at the sky. Some waited for the sudden downpour. Thankfully, it never came. So, Naruto had taken this chance to invite Sakura out for coffee after school.<p>

He had saved her a seat outside the café, bobbing anxiously, awaiting her arrival. They exchanged pleasantries. Soon, Sakura tugged off her scarf as her snack had arrived. It was a hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin. It looked delicious! Naruto had ordered a massive bowl of fries and a smoothie. Since the place didn't sell ramen, this was his next choice—which he reluctantly accepted.

They enjoyed their meal in silence. It was comforting, really. Most of their get-togethers were all silence, ever since Sasuke had left. Naruto didn't mind. He had learned to turn off his boisterous nature in Sakura's presence after that day. And ever since, he dealt with it all; the crying, the fits of rage, and the various mood swings. But after the day when she finally got over him, Naruto was happy to see his best friend back to her old self. It was like she had risen from the dead.

All in all, Sakura was eternally grateful that she had Naruto by her side. He was always there; rain, hail or shine. That was exactly why Sakura kept him around. She needed a punching bag—in a good sort of way.

After a long silence, Naruto piped up.

"So, how is he doing, anyways?"

Sakura choked on her mouthful of blueberry muffin.

…_What did he just say?_

People were beginning to stare. So she quickly took a sip of Naruto's smoothie after she stopped choking. She looked at her best friend. His expression was completely serious, albeit the little smirk playing on his lips. Sakura was stuttering for an answer. Before she could muster up anything that seemed half-believable, Naruto leaned back in his chair and lazily folded him arms over his chest.

"Don't think I haven't heard, Sakura," he said, this time his tone serious. His big, cobalt eyes drilled into hers from across the table. She kept stuttering for an answer, but she stopped, uttering an exasperated sigh.

"She told you, didn't she?" Sakura asked, glaring at a suddenly very interesting stone on the pavement. Naruto nodded solemnly as he agreed with her reference to Ino.

Suddenly, Naruto leaned forward, and he caught her gaze. He noticed little tears forming in the corners of her emerald orbs, so he spoke softly.

"Sakura, listen to me," he pleaded. "I am happy for you, I really am. I mean, you've wanted this to happen for years, and so did I. And I understand what you're feeling, but you need to know something."

Sakura blinked away the tears.

"I want you to be careful."

Sakura blinked again, this time, in slight shock.

_Since when did Naruto ever become this serious?_

"Why?"

"Listen, Sakura. I know you're happy and all, but be careful. He may not be the boy you knew the day he left. It's been _three years_, Sakura. Things change, you know?"

No matter how much she wanted to dismiss it, she couldn't. Sakura knew Naruto's words held no lies. True; there was something amiss about her suddenly-returned best friend. He was more reserved, more brooding. Even more complicated than before. Despite the fact that he had been gone three years and hadn't spoken to her in two and a half, Sakura definitely knew he was hiding something. Something had to cause his sudden arrival, and whatever it was, it had to be huge.

But what was it?

"Naruto, I understand where you're coming from, I really do. Just… just let me handle this on my own. I promise to be careful, okay?" Sakura said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Naruto almost beamed.

"Good, but what about Kiba?" he asked.

"Kiba knows fully well what this means to me. He… he actually knows about Sasuke coming back. The two almost killed each other," she exclaimed, remembering the deadly aura radiating from both her boyfriend and her best friend. She had to shoo Kiba away before they lunged at each other like ravenous dogs.

Naruto snickered.

"I've given Sasuke three days to open up. It's already been two, so he has just over twenty-four hours to talk, or I'm throwing his stuff in the street. Simple as that," she said, flashing her blonde haired best friend a confident smile.

"Glad to hear it," Naruto said, giving her a warm smile, flashing his perfect, white teeth.

* * *

><p>An annoying, buzzing sound rudely awoke the sleeping Uchiha. Groaning, he shifted his position on the couch and continued to sleep. Or at least, he tried to. The incessant buzzing continued, and actually seemed to grow louder. Even the rain outside couldn't compete with this noise.<p>

After a few seconds of processing, he realized it to be Sakura's alarm clock.

Sasuke groaned childishly. For every day he stayed here, Sakura was always up at the sound of her alarm. She'd let it ring; once, maybe twice. Then, she'd press the snooze button and get up. Never once did she sleep in during school. Maybe something was wrong.

The alarm clock continued to buzz.

Maybe she got up early, he thought. Maybe she got into the shower and forgot to turn off her alarm. So Sasuke sat up, and listened for the hissing of the shower. When he confirmed the shower was not in use, he reluctantly rolled off the couch and headed upstairs.

That alarm wasn't going to turn itself off.

Silently, he padded up the wide, wooden steps. He was afraid that he might wake Sakura. He remembers that the pinkette was never a morning person. She always left the house with a sour look on her face and a quick 'bye'. He didn't blame her. Every single teenager these days loathed the prospect of school.

Especially on a dreary day like this.

Finally, he neared her bedroom. Her door was ajar slightly, letting the beeping echo throughout the large house. Sasuke stopped, and leaned his head closer to listen. He heard something rustle under the sheets and moan quite loudly.

Cautiously, Sasuke pushed open the door. There, tousled in between blankets and a doona, was the pinkette. From the lump she formed, he could tell she was in the foetal position. Her face was twisted, and her eyes shut quite tightly for someone who was supposed to be sleeping.

The Uchiha opened the door fully, letting it creak to signify the girl that somebody was approaching.

Sakura groaned and rolled over.

"Go away," she mumbled into the puffy, white pillow. Another sharp groan erupted from her mouth. It sounded like… like she was in some sort of… pain?

Sasuke refused to obey her wishes. Instead, he walked over to the side of her bed and looked down at her. She was facing away from him, and her breathing had become very audible. Again, she groaned and whimpered, pulling the doona closer into her chest. She was definitely not alright.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked rather cautiously.

"Do I fucking _look_ okay?" she hissed loudly, groaning again.

_I'll take that as a no._

"You're in pain."

It was more of a statement rather than a question.

Then, the pinkette rolled over, flashing a sarcastic glare at the Uchiha.

"Why, what ever gave you _that _idea?"

"I'm only trying to help," Sasuke said darkly, glaring back at his best friend.

Instead of arguing any further, Sakura groaned. From pain or exasperation, he did not know. She then pulled the doona over her head and mushed her face into her puffy pillow in a rather childish manner. Sasuke raised his eyebrow. He almost had to stifle a smirk. It had been a long time since he'd seen Sakura act childish.

So, like the loveable bastard he was, Sasuke decided to have a little fun.

"You're going to be late for school."

"…"

"Hn?"

"I gomphmmmperroh."

Sasuke smirked. "Sorry, didn't quite _catch_ that, Sakura."

"I gomphmmmperroh!" she shouted into the pillow. Well, he figured she shouted. It just came out muffled like the last time. Sasuke refused to stop.

"Speak up, Sakura. I don't like it when you mumble. You know how I hate the mumbl—"

"_I got my bloody period, you dickhead!"_ she screeched, lifting her head off the pillow. She then curled further into her self and groaned loudly.

Sasuke, honestly, was flabbergasted.

Never, in the eleven years that they had been best friends, did Sakura _ever_ once mention the 'p' word. It was the one thing they never spoke about. And he never asked about it. Rather, he didn't want to know about it. Although, the only thing he knew about them was that it wreaked havoc with a girl's mood swings. He never actually assumed it could be… painful.

Sasuke inwardly shuddered at the other thoughts that crossed his mind about girls and their… _things_.

Nonetheless, something in the back of his mine told him that had to help her. There was no way he could leave her like this. He could see it in the way her face was twisted that she was in a lot of pain. Her jaw was clenched and her breathing was a little short. She moaned constantly as well.

"Is there anything… I can do?" he said softly, breaking the silence.

* * *

><p>After giving Sakura some… <em>thing<em>… medication, Sasuke trotted downstairs. He then called her school—posing as her cousin—informing them that 'Sakura would not be attending today, due to succumbing to an illness'. They seemed to believe it; never once did they ask for any confirmation on the fact if he really was her cousin. Nonetheless, he hung up before they even could.

Right now, Sasuke was in the kitchen, stirring away at a small pot of soup. Chicken noodle soup, to be precise. He remembers Sakura's mother cooking this dish when someone fell sick. She cooked it for her own family, and for Sasuke's family too. It was her own, special recipe. It was the only remedy she prescribed—alongside with the… _thing_… medication.

The warm, lemony scent of the soup sent a warm vibration through his chest. The combination of chicken and lemon was genius. It was perfect for sickness. It was always said that chicken soup actually makes you feel better while ill.

Suddenly, the faint shuffling of footsteps sounded in the foyer. Sasuke turned to see Sakura rugged up in her pink dressing gown. Her slippers scuffed noisily on the tiles as she approached the bench that separated her and the brooding Uchiha. Sasuke gave her a once over, then turned back around to monitor the soup.

"How're you feeling?"

"A whole lot better than you look."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and stifled a snort. That was just like Sakura, he mused to himself. Just when you think she's down for the count, she proves you wrong.

The shuffling resumed. In seconds, the pinkette was standing beside the boy, hovering over the pot. He heard her inhale deeply, glancing at her as she closed her eyes.

"Hmm… Needs more lemon," she said, walking to the fridge and fishing out a said fruit. She proceeded to cut it in half. Then, holding it above the pot with one hand cupped an inch beneath it, she squeezed. Once the juice ran out, she discarded the rind and the pits that were in her other hand.

Sasuke reluctantly stirred, inhaling deeply as the added lemon filtered through his nostrils. He hated to admit it, but she was right. Now, it smelled ridiculously irresistible.

After a while, both teens downed the soup rather quickly. Sasuke insisted Sakura take more of the soup, as she needed it. Earlier, Sakura had told him that she was in pain due to dehydration. Giving the girl a questionable look—and pleading for no more information—he decided it better for her to have fresh soup, rather than the leftovers from the other night.

Once the dishes were washed, Sakura stepped infront of Sasuke as he was leaving the kitchen. He saw that her face was serious. He mentally swallowed, preparing for what was coming next.

"It's been three days," she quipped, crossing her arms over her chest. Emerald orbs drilled into deep, onyx ones as a reply was waited on.

"I know," he replied.

"Well?"

"Your parents called."

Sakura blinked.

"And you _answered_ it?" she gaped incredulously.

The Uchiha snorted. "I'm not an idiot, Sakura."

Said pinkette breathed a sigh of relief.

"They left a message, explaining that some paperwork went wrong. In short, they'll be home next week Tuesday; precisely a week from today," he reported, trying to sustain his triumphant smirk.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. She hated the way his onyx eyes glinted when he got cocky.

Sasuke then allowed his smirk to surface.

"So, does this mean I have until next week?"

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, this chapter was to mainly open up the relationship between Sasuke and Sakura; you know, getting used to each other's presence. The wall is slowly coming down, though there are still doubts. They shall be talked about, hinted and revealed in later chapters. But next, I'm going to write more KibaSakura, and maybe, MAYBE, if you all review alot, I may even add a lil something between Sasuke and Sakura!**

**So, you guys know what to do! Just hit that little 'review' button, and your next chapter will be up very, VERY soon! xx  
><strong>


	11. Why?

**HELLO THERE, CHILDREN!**

**I see a lot of you enjoyed the last chapter! THANKYOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! I EVEN GOT ONE THAT SAID THIS IS SHAPING UP TO BE A BIG HIT!**

**Okay, now a bit of serious business: I typed my own OC story in replacement of my other one. I typed the first chapter last night. Four hours and 5,000+ words later, I posted it. Long, long story short, I wanted the character to have some prior conflict in her own life before being tossed into the Naruto World. And in the end, I wanted her to make Sasuke see that she isn't the only one who is going through the same thing he is. You know, to give that raven jackass a bit of a reality check. Haha.**

**So, I would just like you peeps to take a gander at it and let me know if you believe I should continue it or not :)**

**ANYWAYS, here's the next chapter for you awesomesauce readers!**

* * *

><p>"That jackass!"<p>

"Shut up, Ino!" the pinkette hissed. "You'll get us kicked out again!"

The blonde immediately cupped her hand over her mouth as the old, crotchety librarian threw her a dark scowl. Both girls waited until the old bat was out of sight to resume talking.

"So, did you give him the extra week or not?" Ino hissed over the top of her book.

Sakura sighed.

"What choice do I have?"

Ino shot her an incredulous look. "What?"

"Ino, if he finally tells me why he's come back, he might stay. For good, this time…"

Ino felt a pang of guilt as the pinkette's expression fell dismally. She knew that Sakura wanted Sasuke to stay, despite the fact Ino still hated Sasuke for leaving in the first place. Nonetheless, Sakura was a grown woman. Ino couldn't fight her battles for any longer.

Ino sighed exasperatedly and continued to read.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Forehead."

_I hope I know what I'm doing too, Ino…_

* * *

><p>Scenes from the last weeks of when Sasuke was still here dance through Sakura's mind as she walked home after school. She often had herself thinking about it ever since she found out that Sasuke had kept every single letter she had ever sent him.<p>

She remembers Sasuke was gone, quite a lot in the coming weeks to his departure, actually. His father would take him across the country to the company's headquarters. Sasuke never told Sakura why. All he would say that leaving town would become a frequency in the coming weeks.

A knot of dread had filled her stomach at that. But, being the best friend she was, she accepted it. She accepted it whether she liked it or not.

Sometimes, Sasuke would be gone for two days. Other times, he would be gone for the whole week. She tried to text him, but he never replied. Naturally, Sakura would be worried out of her mind. But when Sasuke would return home, everything went back to normal.

Or so she thought.

You see, the period of time Sasuke was gone on those trips weren't random. They started from overnight trips. Gradually, they extended to weeklong trips. Each time he would go, he would be gone for a little while longer.

Sakura wasn't stupid.

She noticed the increasing stays. She noticed they were becoming more frequent. And she noticed he became more and more distant each time he would return. Sakura would always insist on knowing what was going on, but Sasuke wouldn't hear of it. He said—to put it lightly—that if she really were his best friend, she would keep her mouth shut and just be supportive.

After that, Sakura never asked about it again.

She merely stood by his side like the loyal friend she promised to be.

But being his best friend, she could not escape the fact that something bad was about to happen. She could sense it, down to her very core.

_The pinkette shivered as another harsh gust of wind swept over her. She wrapped the oversized hoodie tighter around her body, but no matter how tight, the wind still seeped through. Her skin was nearing the texture of ice, but she kept waiting nonetheless._

_Sasuke had been gone for about nine days now._

_He stated that he would be back in a week's time, but on the seventh day, his house was still empty. Becoming worried, she decided to wait until he came home._

_So, after yet another dreary day of forced education, Sakura took the long way home—the long way being walking past the Uchiha's house. She decided she needed the exercise too, so walking past his house on the long way home wasn't doing any harm._

_As her hopes neared their high as she walked past the larger than large house, they were dashed again as she saw that the house was dark and uninhabited. Not a light in sight._

_Sighing, she kept walking._

Sakura tried to stop her nose tingling. The tingle of her nose signalled the encroaching tears. Taking a deep breath, she was determined not to let the tears fall. She would not cry. She cursed her mind for bringing back up the memories. They had been resurfacing constantly ever since she had come back.

She remembers the day all connections to him were eliminated. She remembers trashing her room in an unholy fury. She remembers the constant ups and downs in her mood. There were days where she would think she was completely over it, until she saw something or heard something that reminded her of Sasuke.

Then, the tears would come. And oh, how they would come.

She would cry just like she did the day he left. The panging in her stomach and chest would form again, pounding her form the inside out. She would cry until she gained that same, splitting headache. This may seem rather overreacting, but put yourself in Sakura's shoes:

Imagine losing your best friend of eleven years.

Then imagine finding every form of communication cut off, and his father's company putting you on hold. You do not know any of his new details. It's like they've been detained from you, as if you'd use them to conquer the world. You spend hours searching for them, but you either cannot find them, or whoever you're speaking to says the owner of said information needs a verification password to obtain their personal details.

But, imagine all the memories you two shared. Remember all the times you shared; laughing, talking, crying, and fighting—even if most of it was done on your end.

Then remember the day you realized you were in love with him. You hadn't realized he was the one until now. He suddenly becomes everything you could want and more. Yet you can't touch him. You don't want to wreck the blissful friendship you both shared. So you hide your feelings from him, constantly thinking about how to reveal them to him without tainting the bond you share.

Everything starts to go smoothly after you realize you love him. Yes, he still goes out on dates with girls you don't really like, but you accept that. You accept the fact that he keeps you as his best friend, despite how utterly opposite you both are. You often question yourself why—of all people—you are his most trusted friend. Things seem to be looking up; you're glad you didn't confess your feelings straight away.

And then, he's gone.

The shock is too much to bear. It takes a while for it to sink in, and when it does, you wished it hadn't.

The tears just won't stop. The sobbing, screaming and crying are all you seem to do lately. You can't stop. Memories of him flood through your mind, adding to your uncontrollable sobbing. All the good times you shared. And then, you start to imagine what you two could have been.

Your crying becomes hysterical.

Doubt swells in your mind. You begin to think that you should have said something. You understand that his brother and mother are dead, and that the father requests a change of scenery to combat oncoming depression.

But you cannot help and think that things could have gone differently if you had confessed your feelings earlier. Maybe if you and Sasuke had been together, or that his father knew of your sincere feelings, maybe he would have changed his mind. He still would have moved, but not so far away that the time difference kills everything.

After three years of battling your feelings, you finally let go. You finally let go of all the hurt, anger and sorrow he has caused you. Now, you understand that it wasn't your fault and that he's never coming back. Things seem to be looking up out of the deep, dark hole you have been dwelling in for so long.

Your friends are there for you. Soon enough, the memory of Sasuke is suppressed to nothing but; a time in your life where you were happy, a time where bonds were created, and, also, a time for letting go.

You manage to get on with your life. You begin to smile more, and even laugh at stupid jokes that used to remind you of the happiness you never thought you'd feel again.

Soon enough, you meet someone new. He is cute, tall and makes you laugh. He makes you happy and you make him happy. Next thing you know, you're together. You go out on dates, you tease each other, and you make love for the first time. It is brilliant, and you love him dearly. Finally, you begin to realize that if these are what cards you were dealt, then so be it.

And then one night, you walk downstairs to find none other than _him_ standing soaking wet in your kitchen.

Everything you once knew and believed in is thrown out the window.

Your mind is thrown back into that state of confusion. The one person you held deep feelings for, that just got up and left you three years ago, is finally back. His eyes are all you see. In his eyes, you see all the times you shared; the laughs, fights and good times. Everything you had wanted so badly in your whole life is standing in your kitchen, hugging you. He is hugging you just like he did they day he left, whispering your name, making you melt like ice on hot pavement.

But are you happy?

* * *

><p>The pinkette arrived home to an empty house.<p>

Cautiously, she walked through the foyer into the lounge. The television was still on, but the couch is bare. Mussed up blankets and a pillow on the floor lay in its wake. Slowly, she turned and stalked into the kitchen.

She dropped her book bag by the bench and spied the little white piece of paper stuck to the fridge. Walking around the large bench, she plucked the note from the fridge and read it. Seems the Uchiha has gone out for a walk.

Sakura shrugged and flicked the note onto the black marble countertop.

_Maybe a walk will do that boy some good; maybe he's thinking of a way to tell me everything._

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**_  
><em>

The pinkette trudged up the stairs and prepared for a hot shower. She let her uniform slip off her body like silk. The shower is hissing against the white tiles, just teasing her to see if she can resist. Soon enough, she slips under the rush of water and sighs. The hot water felt good on her cold and clammy skin. She lovingly soaked her long, pink locks in her favoured strawberry scented shampoo and conditioner, taking her sweet time.

After her shower, Sakura slips on her blue pyjamas and sits down at her dresser to brush her hair. Opening the little drawer, she rummages through to grab her hairbrush. After oddly prolonged seconds of searching, her hairbrush isn't there.

Cursing under her breath, she hops off the little stool and begins to search. She crouches down on her hands and knees, craning her head sideways. Her hairbrush must've fallen under her dresser, but after looking, it wasn't there.

Standing to her feet, Sakura rubbed the back of her wet, knotty locks in confusion. She could have sworn she left it either in her drawer, or on the dresser-top.

Grunting in a rather unladylike manner, Sakura decided to search under her bed before searching the bathroom. She always had one brush in her room and one in the bathroom. It was just how she was.

So, once again, Sakura crouched down on her rug that supported the bed of the hardwood floor and searched again. The underneath of her bed was too dark to see anything, so she stretched out her hand and hoped for the best.

Her hand swept over nothing but dust and a few discarded pad wrappings. Ignoring them, she kept searching. Upon feeling nothing, she swept her hand in a larger radial pattern, hoping to find something.

As she swept, her hand grazed over something flat with a slightly sticky, plastic surface. She paused and swept back slowly. Her hand grazed over the flat item, and out of plain curiosity, she pulled it out.

Sakura wiped her hands on the legs of her pyjamas and gazed upon what she had found. She flicked her non-existent nails underneath the item and held it up to her face.

Emerald orbs widened.

It was a photo.

After carefully wiping the dust off its surface wit her thumb, she realized it was an old photo of none other than her and Sasuke Uchiha.

The photo depicted the two standing side by side, slightly turned into each other. Sasuke's hand was behind her back, and both her hands were clasped infront of her. she was wearing a gorgeous little dark green cocktail dress, while the Uchiha was wearing a white suit shirt and black slacks. Both were smiling. Well, she was; Sasuke's mouth only tilted upward just that little tiny bit that nobody else really noticed.

After a few second of deliberating, she remembered where this photo was taken.

It was Sasuke's sixteenth birthday party. She remembers going to the most expensive dress shop in town and spending every penny she had earned from her new job—a job that she had quit after Sasuke left.

A small smile pulled at the corners of Sakura's mouth. This was just after the time she discovered she was crushing on the Uchiha.

But as Sakura at on the edge of her blue striped bedspread, she smile faded.

_Why?_

_If he didn't care, then why would he keep the letters?_

Sakura set down the old, faded photo on the bed beside her and rested her elbows on her knees. She ran her fingers through her hair, not even wincing at the knots that still needed be brushed out.

It was so confusing—not that Sasuke was never confusing to begin with. Just when she think she had him all figured out, he goes and does something she just can't comprehend. Emerald orbs widened as another aching thought occurred.

_If he kept the letters, then why didn't he ever write back?_

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffy!<strong>

**Does it make you think?**

**Do you remember Sasuke saying he wrote back to ever letter she had ever sent?**

**Yes?**

**And did he also say that there was something peculiar about the letters she sent?**

**He did?  
><strong>

**Then you think that something must've happened for these two to think like this?**

**Yes?  
><strong>

**Then my work here is done! :D**

**_NOTE: Sasuke (in this) is a year older than everyone else. I don't take their birthdays into consideration. Sasuke left, and is now nineteen. Sakura is now eighteen. It is currently nearing the end of February and is very cold, despite nearing the end of winter._  
><strong>

**I decided to post this now because I was lucky enough to receive TEN MORE REVIEWS OVERNIGHT from a person who really really seemed ot love this story enough to post a review after every chapter!**

**And also, another HUGE thankyou to those who have reviewed since the last update! You guys are the reason I keep going! I may post another chapter within the next week, but I can't promise anything; I start school on the 26th July, AND am going to see Enrique Iglesias that night too! FUCK YEAH BAY-BEH! I am SO pumped for that! Plus my cousin comes back from Hawaii, and I need a serious catch-up sesh with her and the other girls haha.**

**HINT: A lemon is on it's way! And I think you know who's in it... ;)  
><strong>

**So, I shall try to update when I can! Please bear with me, and don't stop the reviews coming! Oh, and if you have any questions about the story, please don't hesitate to PM me and ask! I always reply to my PMs, so feel free!**

**Please R&R! xxx  
><strong>


	12. The First Of Many

**Greetings! Have you all missed me? I hope you did!**

**Anyway, I apologize again for having this put on hold for the last few weeks. Some events occurred, so to play it safe, I put the story on hold so I could wait to a time until I was in the right frame of mind to keep going.**

**Also, I was shocked at the outpouring of wishes toward me after that announcement, and also even more afterward! Everybody who reviewed: thankyou all so much! You really have no idea how much it means to me to have such loyal followers! It went pretty quiet there for a while though, but a few more beautiful reviews finally peeled me off the ground and glued me to the computer!**

**So, without any further ado, here's the twelfth chapter! And I promise to make it as long as I can!  
><strong>

**And please, I need at least 5 reviews in order to type and post the next chapter. And come on, please type a little more than just "Omg amazing update soon!" because honestly, that's annoying. And I know all you fellow authors out there agree with me.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

><p>Both boys walked silently down the paved sidewalk. Their shoes scuffed lightly across its damp, rough surface in a steady rhythm. A cold, yet peaceful wind blew at their hair, making the leaves on the trees whisper and their clothes dance softly in the wind. The sun was beginning to set. It looked quite mesmerizing in the aftermath of the rain; a glistening and crisp glow that hovered on the horizon line. The storms had held up for now, but were sure to come back any minute now.<p>

Sasuke was surprised to see Naruto at the door earlier today. When he heard the knocking, he was sleeping—rather peacefully, he might add. At first, he was hesitant to answer. Sakura never knocked on the door. It was her house, after all. So all she had to do was walk right on in.

So when it was the familiar blonde at the door, Sasuke was… surprised. Not that he should have been; he knew Naruto and Sakura were close. He started out as crushing on her, but then moved to the lovingly brother type. It suited him well, Sasuke noticed. The blonde was always protective of the ones he loved, even if those loved ones didn't love him back.

But what he was surprised about was the blonde's reaction. Which was nothing. No look of surprise, no obnoxious bellowing, no pointing fingers. Nothing, except a smile that didn't sit right with the Uchiha. It was weird. This was not the Naruto he knew.

"So… how are you?" Naruto asked, the caution alive in his scratchy tone.

The Uchiha didn't respond right away. He kept those hard eyes fixated on the path ahead. Neither knew where they were walking. They were just walking.

"Been better," was the curt response.

The blonde did not question anymore, for now. Sasuke felt it comforting and quite nerve-wracking at the same time. He and the blonde used to be close; despite the fact they didn't attend the same school. Naruto went to one of the lesser schools in the area. Sasuke, on the other hand, went to the best and brightest, right along with Sakura. He always remembered Naruto as this bright, incessant light that never dimmed, regardless of the current circumstance. That infectious smile never grew old. And neither did his loud demeanour.

But this quiet, calculating Naruto was unnerving.

"Her parents will be back soon, you know," the blonde said, breaking the silence as they turned a corner.

The ravenette merely nodded in response. He was very much aware of that. Her parents would return, and what would they say? He had not a clue. Her parents loved him, he remembers. But it has been years since they last spoke. He never even said goodbye to them. They surely hated him, or at the least, had forgotten about him.

Naruto turned his blue gaze away from the dark boy beside him. Sighing exasperatedly, he shoved his hands into his pockets and kept walking. Truth be told, he didn't really know why he had asked Sasuke to take a walk. Naruto was simply on his way home from school, and suddenly felt the impulse.

Surprise was the immediate reaction when Naruto's cobalt eyes came to rest on Sasuke. He was still the same, he remembers—but only on the outside, as far as he knew. Those blacker than black eyes were still cold, still hard, still etched with angst from his tainted past. Sasuke was still that one-inch taller, and still brooding.

At least some things never changed.

"So, what are you going to do?"

Sasuke remembered that Naruto also never liked to beat around the bush.

"I don't know."

* * *

><p>After his fifth glass of scotch and coke, the room began to sway a little. Sasuke was always known for being able to hold his liquor to an incredible extent, but this time, it had seemed to get the better of him. Taking the very last swig, he placed the glass down on the carpet beside him and focused his attention back to the television.<p>

Sasuke blinked heavily, trying to regain his focus on the screen. Sakura was seated on the plush, black armchair to his left. He now noticed that she had dozed off. Her pink head was drooped slightly and the blanket was pulled up to her chin.

Craning his neck to the right, the digital clock on the small cabinet blinked 1:43am. Was it really that late? All he remembers was sitting down with Sakura while she flicked it onto a movie and ordered some take-out for the two of them. But that was at around seven. Now, it was 1:43am, he was under the influence, and she was asleep.

Looking back at the pinkette, her head had slumped down further, and her body was curled up tightly. He frowned. Sleeping like that wasn't going to get any cheeriness out of her in the morning.

Sasuke stood to his feet, grabbed the remote and flicked off the television. Tossing the remote aside with a soft _plop,_ he walked over to the sleeping girl. He thanked his lucky stars that he could still walk.

Sakura was lighter than he remembered as he slid his arms around her sleeping form. She did not move, nor did she stir from her sleep. She must have been really exhausted. He noticed how irritable she had been lately, despite her best efforts to cover it up. School was the main influence, but Sasuke knew now that it was more his fault.

Nonetheless, carefully, he heaved her up, balanced his weight, and headed toward the stairs. He wriggled his palms around her form, adjusting to a more comfortable position as he began to ascend upstairs.

His strong legs wobbled slightly as he passed each step. The cool, hardwood stairs creaked lightly under their weight. His vision dared to blur, but a deep scowl at himself forced his vision to return to normal—for now. A wave of relief washed over the Uchiha as he finally reached the top of the curved staircase. Honestly, he never thought he'd make it this far.

Turning the two familiar corners, Sasuke finally reached Sakura's room. He thanked his lucky stars that the door was ajar. Carefully, he raised one foot and softly nudged it open and entered the room. His feet bid goodbye to cold wood and were greeted my plush carpet, along with female scent.

The room was dark, but the moonlight from outside flooded through the window. The full moon cast a greyish blue glow over every surface. He thought to turn on the light, but he did not want to wake Sakura. Honestly, he feared—only a little—that she might snap at him for carrying her up to her room.

Dismissing those thoughts, and ever so gently, Sasuke leaned down and placed Sakura atop her messy bed. After he carefully arranged her body in what he thought was a comfortable position, he pulled the covers up to her belly.

But something was wrong.

He noticed her pink head kept rolling off her pillow and lolling into a painful looking angle.

Grumbling to himself in a rather undignified manner, he dropped to his knees beside the bed. He could not afford to stand, as he feared his tired and under-the-influence body would cave in at any minute.

Reaching over, he slipped his hand underneath to the nape of her neck and raised her head. With his other free hand, he clumsily fumbled with the pillow. It was twisted and bunched up, probably from a restless night's sleep. He was trying—and failing—to position her head on its twisted form while trying to untangle it simultaneously.

No matter how hard he was trying, he couldn't get her head to stay still. He tried to pick one knee up off the ground, but it caved out from underneath him. It banged hollowly on the hardwood floor and Sasuke cursed under his breath.

Sakura's tired moan startled him.

Getting up onto his feet, he kept his hands on the nape of her neck and her pillow, trying not to wake her anymore. His form was crying out for sleep, but he pushed on. Sasuke knew his body would give out any minute; his vision was blurring severely and he now had trouble focusing his sight.

"Sakura?"

She moaned again and tried to turn over, but his hands were stopping her. As the Uchiha tried to focus his drunken eyes, he suddenly realized how close his face was hovering over hers. He could feel her hot breath fan over his face when she had groaned. If he had the strength to focus his eyes more, he would have seen that their noses were mere centimetres apart.

She grunted in what he guessed was annoyance at not being able to turn over. She tried to raise her head up, but failed, as her tiredness took over. Frowning at her, he tried to remove his hand from underneath her neck as she rolled in closer to him.

Muttering something about women being ridiculously fickle, Sasuke tried to slip his hands out when a final, massive wave of tiredness washed over him. He felt his shoulders slump, his hands go numb, and his lips press up against something warm and slightly wet.

* * *

><p>The pinkette could feel nudges against her body, but her body ignored it. Her eyes were curious and asked to open, but her tired mind dismissed the nudges and let her mind retreat back into that blissful sleep.<p>

Just as she was about to retreat back to her state of bliss, a hollow bang and some muttered cursing jolted Sakura from her sleep. Trying to turn over, she moaned, hoping what whoever was near her would just piss off.

But sadly, whoever it was didn't leave.

She kept her eyes closed and refrained from any sudden movements. Her mind was beyond exhausted and dismissed everything and anything around her. Her eyes craved to be opened, but her mind was determined to get her back to sleep. She was coming in and out of her trance of sleep, much to her dismay.

"Sakura?"

That low, husky whisper made her gasp, but she quickly covered it up by letting it accentuate into another moan that she hoped perceived tiredness. The nudges became more persistent, and something warm and calloused was cupping the nape of her neck. As she became more aware, she realized someone was definitely holding her.

Again, she tried to roll over in her suddenly comfortable position, but something was restricting her. This time, she became annoyed. Forcibly rolling her torso, she grunted harshly and tried to lift her neck away from the warm, calloused surface.

But something was wrong.

She could feel something hot and dense fanning over her nose and cheeks. The smell was thick and hot, and she recognized it instantly as alcohol. She felt the hands move once more, and her heart rate suddenly quickened as her eyes shot open. She was about to cry out in protest when she suddenly felt something come down on her face and press up against her lips.

Her emerald eyes connected with darker than dark orbs. Those eyes were just as wide as hers. The greyish blue moonlight helped her eyes focus much quicker. She could now very well see that her lips were pressed up against someone else's. As her eyes darted around, her heart quickened more so; she could see dark locks, pale face, and dark orbs, half-lidded yet wide-awake at the same time.

And the sight of who was kissing her was something to behold.

Sasuke.

Sasuke Uchiha.

_The Sasuke Uchiha_ was kissing her.

Her mind began to swirl in a haze as his lips left hers. Bathed in the greyish blue moonlight, she could see his form perfectly well now. He was lazily sitting on the edge of her bed; his body leant forward, looking as if he was about to pass out. His coal orbs were wide and his pale skin glinted with a thin sheet of sweat. That silky midnight black hair was slightly ruffled, making him look devilishly handsome, despite being under the influence. A thick, dense pang of guilt and lust suddenly settled in the pits of her stomach.

…Had she really done what she just did? Did she really kiss Sasuke? Or did Sasuke really kiss her? This must be some kid of sick, cruel—

Without warning, the lips crashed against hers again. This time, she could tell they were desperate. She could taste the dry scotch in his lips and smell it heavily on his breath. His whole form leant against hers, as if depending on her for his sole source of support. His mouth moved against hers as he had been doing this his whole life.

Her soul burned and twisted in a cataclysmic tornado of hate and desire. Here he was, the boy she had loved and cared for so much for so many years, kissing her like he was deprived of his favourite drug for so long. Despite being under the influence, the kiss was sober. His lips moved methodically against hers, begging for a way in.

Oh, how she had dreamed of this day. Many a time she dreamed of kissing Sasuke. She pictured kissing him in countless romantic places. She pictured him cupping his hand under her chin and kissing her with the utmost tenderness. She pictured herself being swept off her feet by the brooding devil, and kissed like there was no tomorrow.

Even after he left, the fantasies did not stop.

She pictured spotting him in town somewhere, and running up to her, hugging her as he apologized for leaving. She pictured herself waking up and everything being a horrible, cruel dream; then running to his house and shamelessly announcing that she loved him. She didn't care if he would reject her. She just needed to tell him how she felt if he had ever actually decided to leave her again.

Her mind was short-circuiting. The unfathomable anger she had kept bottled up for so long was threatening to burst forth in an unholy rage. Her voice box begged her to slap him and scream at him for doing something so utterly despicable. Her body hummed with desire. The kiss was electric, and she could not stop herself. She was a mess of emotions, unsure of what to do. The desire that she had felt for him came back instantly, the nostalgia hitting her like a freight train.

Sakura was completely at a loss. The whole time her lips responded to his kiss, her mind was screaming to stop, but her body was shrieking for more, to keep going and going, to never stop. She had wanted this for so God damned long and she will be _damned_ if she doesn't get it.

Ever since Sakura realized she was in love with the dark beauty, her whole world had changed. She began to see Sasuke in a whole new light. Her body suddenly became aflutter with emotions every time he would be near her. But the fact that they were best friends before this realization, scared her witless.

She feared that if she ever confessed, she would lose more than she had gained. But oh, how she desired to be his. She knew she would treat him right. And because they had known each other for so long, she just knew he would treat her the same way. The other side of her mind said the friendship was a good thing; after all, the greatest of all loves blossom out of friendship. There was no reason why he should reject her, was there?

It started out as a crush, yes, but had blossomed into so much more in such a short amount of time. Once before, she had tried to kiss him. It had backfired, quite embarrassingly. He looked so utterly perplexed; she hoped that he didn't realize she had tried to do the unthinkable.

But after that, she was afraid to try again. Being the timid, little girl she was back then, she decided to simply admire from afar. She would stare at him when he wasn't looking. She would flutter at his touch, but say nothing of it. She would watch the way he would smirk at her when they argued like children. And she would still watch him take out countless more girls on dates and kiss them as they left his front porch. She didn't want to risk losing everything.

She didn't want to risk getting hurt.

* * *

><p><strong>There you have it; the long awaited twelfth chapter! Honestly, this was the hardest chapter to write. I've been suffering from writer's block for so God damned long that I was about to cry and smash my computer to the shit-house. But finally, it's up! I had the first part between Naruto and Sasuke down easily, but the Sasuke x Sakura was epically hard. But I can assure you that the next chapters will be worthy!<strong>

**I was struggling with the thought of making them kiss yet or not. But I think after ELEVEN chapters, you expect something, yes? So I gave it to you!**

**Please read and review. And none of this "update soon" crap. I will honestly scrap this story if that's all I get. I'm hoping for at least 5 reviews in order to post the next chapter!**

**PLUS: Check out my other story **_**Revenge, Thou Art A Wickedness**_**, please! I will post two consecutive chapters of **_**Someday, Someday**_** if you all read and review **_**R,TAAW**_**!**

**PEACE! xx**

_****Also, just a little author's rant here: I believe Demi Lovato is a beautiful, inspiriational woman. She's been through Hell and back, and if I read rumours that she was cutting herself for a second time, best friend or not, I'd get off my ass and go and help her. God damnit, Selena Gomez, get off your fucking high horse and help her. That is all.****_


	13. Spark

**Wow… words cannot describe how SORRY I am for not getting this posted earlier, but I assure you, valid reasons were involved, such as the completion of exams, schoolies, my sixteen year old brother returning from overseas, VCE results, university interviews, writer's block, Christmas, seeing family and celebrating two years with the boyfriend.**

**So again, I do apologize, but as you can see, I did have valid reasons for not posting any sooner. I hope you are all ready to read more! Also, I am currently working a new Sasu/Saku story called _Taste Of Your Own Medicine!_ Check it out!**

**And more letters between Sasuke and Sakura will be revealed!**

**So, just like I promised, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

><p>To say Sakura was angry was the understatement of the century. Not only because she had lost all chances of sleep that night, but also because that dirty Uchiha had done something utterly despicable.<p>

He had kissed her.

Groaning, she banged her fist onto the locker to her right. It rattled loudly, but was quickly drowned out by the echoes of laughter, talking, walking and other slamming lockers. Gaining her composure, she reached in and searched for her correct books.

The pinkette was a complete and utter mess, to say the least. When she had awoken from the non-existent sleep, she was determined to search for the raven-haired jackass and give him one hell of a piece of her mind. But luck was not on her side. She had learned he had left the house, perhaps for another walk. Unleashing all of her pent up fury on the closest object, she obliterated it with one punch, grabbed her bag and headed off for school.

The Uchiha was safe. For now.

But that was not the worst of it.

Despite the fact Sakura was riddled with fury at the Uchiha's despicable act, her mind could not escape one tiny, little problem.

She had enjoyed the kiss.

Not knowing how, or not knowing why, she had responded. It was more like her body had a mind of it's own. She responded with more intent than need be, and the longer it went on, the hotter the burning in her chest grew. And then, without so much as a single word or sound, Sasuke had pulled away and left the room. And that was that.

Needles to say, she felt rejected.

Mentally slapping herself, the pinkette regained her perspective. She has a _boyfriend_. She is _happy_, and she _cannot waste her time on the boy who had upped and left her without a single reason why_.

A dense pang of guilt settled in her stomach as she realized she technically cheated on Kiba. She had cried after that realization last night, but then decided what Kiba doesn't know won't hurt him. It wasn't like she had initiated the kiss anyway. Sasuke had. Twice. So she told herself over and over again that she wasn't at fault.

Grabbing the last of her books, she reached for her locker door when someone behind her spoke.

"You've been avoiding me, Sakura."

Gasping, the pinkette whipped around to see none other than Kiba standing behind her, looking quite serious. His playful, cheeky grin had disappeared, replaced by a grim line and serious eyes.

"O-oh, Kiba, I didn't see you—"

"Why have you been avoiding me?" the brown-haired boy repeated. He folded his arms over his chest and took a step forward. Hurt flickered behind the seriousness in his eyes.

The one thing that Sakura had always secretly feared about Kiba was his ability to look quite powerful and domineering, and quite possibly dangerous. He could tower over people, and with one serious look, have them scamper away in an instant. He rarely acted like that, and when he did, it meant business.

Sakura gazed into the brown-haired boy's eyes. "Kiba, you know that I never meant to avoid you on purpose. I love you, but with everything that's been going on, I just…" the pinkette sighed heavily, "I just need some time to myself, that's all," she said softly, her eyes pleading with his.

His mood immediately seemed to soften, but then regained it's seemingly deadly aura.

"It's about _Sasuke_, isn't it?" he demanded. The ravenette's name came out of his mouth like venom.

"Yes, but—"

"What's been going on between you two?"

Sakura held back an exasperated sigh. After all that had happened, she definitely did not need Kiba breathing down the back of her neck. "Kiba, please understand that—"

"Have you done anything with him? Has he tried anything on you?"

Sakura's mouth dropped open. Her anger boiled.

"How _dare_ you assume that—?"

"Answer me!" Kiba growled, trying to keep his voice from rising. A deep glare was now fixated on his features that could give Sasuke a run for his money as he took yet another step forward. Sakura stepped back, her body gently tapping the lockers. She was cornered. And terrified.

"No!" Sakura hissed back, her emerald orbs flaring. "Nothing has happened, and you _damn_ well better believe it," she growled, trying not to flinch at the fact that she was indeed lying through her teeth.

Kiba didn't say anything. His eyes were filled with guilt, but were being overpowered by doubt and hurt.

But Sakura didn't care.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, Kiba, I'm late for class," she spat as she pushed past him into the swarming mess of teenagers.

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><p><strong>February 6th.<strong>

_**Sakura,**_

_**Yes, I'm okay.**_

_**And I appreciate you respecting my reasons. Although, don't expect me to answer anything just yet. Matters are still complicated. I hope you understand that.**_

_**-Sasuke.**_

_Placing the pen down, Sasuke slipped the tiny piece of paper in the envelope. Sealing it, he flipped it over, scribbled her address on the front, stamped it, and slipped it into the Outgoing Mail chute._

_Sighing to himself, the boy continued to sort through the mail. He despised being put in such a position, but family always did come first. No matter how tough things were about to get, Sasuke was going to stay with his father. After all, they needed each other more than they were willing to admit._

_Nonetheless, he waited for her reply._

* * *

><p>Confusion was not something the Uchiha, or any Uchiha, handled all too well. In fact, they were so articulate and methodical with every single going-on in their lives that confusion was never a top concern.<p>

But now, it did nothing but bother him.

Sleep had come easily to him last night. Perhaps it was due to the alcohol in his system. He knew his form was about to crumble underneath him anyway. As soon as his head has hit that pillow, a world of soft bliss greeted him as he slipped into the unconscious realm.

But as the Uchiha awoke, a nasty realization reared its ugly head, bearing its eyes of truth, scent of guilt and smirk of indifference.

He had kissed Sakura.

As the thought dawned upon him, he has stopped almost completely. His mind ran through the blurry, hot moments of last night, and caused his vision to blot. It started with him carrying her to her room, then trying to get her into bed safely, and then a warm, buzzing sensation was next. A dark thought sprinted through his mind, but after a calming breath and after splashing some much-needed water over his flustered face, the realization was still utterly clear that he had kissed her, and it was never going away anytime soon.

So taking the coward's way out—which was something an Uchiha _rarely_, or _never_, did—he quickly changed, brushed his teeth and bolted out the door before the annoying buzzing that was Sakura's alarm would ring through the house.

The confusion festered in the back of his mind, gnawing at him like a rat does cheese, pushing him to the near edge. But being the strong man he was, it was not hard to push to the back of his mind. But this time, despite all the effort, he could not.

As his mind betrayed him and replayed the events of last night, a small spark could not help but be felt in his chest as a small shiver ran over his lips. He stopped in the middle of the path and clenched the fabric covering his chest.

Despite being under the influence, one thing was for certain. No matter how hard Sasuke tried to escape it, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it or push it to the back of his mind, one thing could never escape him.

He had enjoyed that kiss.

She had responded, there was no denying that. She had had every right to push him away, slap him, scream at him and kick his ass to the curb, but she did none of those things. She merely responded, though he could feel the tension in her lips as she did. She was unaware of what she was doing; a simple reflex, he believed.

Nothing more.

* * *

><p>Soon enough, the day arrived where Sakura's parents were to arrive home.<p>

By Sakura's pleas, Naruto had agreed to let Sasuke stay with him in the meantime, until everything was figured out. The Uchiha still refused to share his true reasons for leaving, but nobody minded.

Well, Naruto didn't mind. For as long as he had known the Uchiha, he knew that whatever he did, whatever he said, Sasuke had his reasons. Naruto heaved a silent sigh as he watched Sasuke dump his black bag against the couch and storm off to the bathroom. The hissing of hot water ensued.

Ruffling his hand through his blonde hair and ending with a rub on the back of his neck, Naruto couldn't help but think of what he had just gotten himself into. There must be some logical reason to Sasuke's sudden arrival, the blonde mused.

The whole car ride back was nothing short of awkward. Naruto hadn't spoken to Sasuke since they had taken that walk together recently. When asked of Sasuke's intentions, Naruto only received a deep glare and a "focus on the road, idiot, not me." Respecting his former friend, they rode the rest of the way home in utter silence.

Naruto refused to burrow himself deeper into his friends' issues. Whatever had happened, whatever was said, it was none of his concern. All he had to do was to be there for Sakura, come what may. Just like he always had been. But as for Sasuke and his reasons? Despite Sakura's current dismal disposition and Sasuke's reserved, taciturn nature, the blonde knew that whatever reasons Sasuke had, they were sure to be for the better.

Right?

* * *

><p>Heaving out a sigh, Sakura dumped the last of the suitcases on the smooth, tiled floor with a dull clunk. Following right behind her was her mother; a slender, beautiful woman with the same startling emerald eyes as her daughter, accompanied by a head of shoulder-length shocking red hair. She was taller than her daughter, but not as tall as her husband. Sakura's father was only a inch taller than his wife, with a tousled head of dark brown locks with hazel eyes hidden behind big, rounded spectacles. He was not a broad man, but that didn't make him any less of one.<p>

"Is that the last of it?" Sakura asked, wiping the sheet of rainwater from her arms and face. The weather outside was still as cold, wet and angry as ever. It had started to pour once again while the pinkette helped her parents with their luggage. Luckily, there was only one suitcase left when the rain decided to grace them with its presence.

"Yes, honey," her mother said as she slipped off her tailored suit jacket. She hung it on the back of the big wooden chair and embraced her daughter in a long, loving hug.

"So what did you get up to while your father and I were gone?"

If Sakura had been drinking a glass of water right at that very moment, she was sure to have choked and spluttered it all over her mother's blouse. Thankfully, this was not the case. Sure, the pinkette's heartbeat excelled twice over, but she was sure not to let it show.

"Oh, nothing really, mom. Just spent some time at Ino's, visited Naruto and went to school; nothing out of the ordinary," Sakura lied, flashing a forced smile up at her mother.

_Lying… I seem to be doing that a lot lately_, she thought miserably.

* * *

><p><strong>There you have it! The long-awaited next chapter! I apologize for it being so short, but if I included anymore, it would have been too long and too confusing. But I hope it was exciting, because it was exciting to re-read months after writing it, and then writing the rest if it were second nature!<strong>

**Remember, if you want to read a Sasu/Saku story filled with comedy, romance, heartbreak and revenge, then check out my new story _Taste Of Your Own Medicine!_**

**Please review :) x**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


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